Let's Make Memories
by JealousGreenEyes
Summary: Plots that could change everything, flashbacks that would much rather be forgotten, and a desire to capture Elena's heart, all in the space of a week, one that Damon will never be able to forget no matter how hard he tries.
1. Memories

**A/N: No Elena in this chapter but there's going to be more of her in the next chapters, this doesn't pick up from any episode in particular, hope you like it, please review and let me know what you think, and sadly I don't own TVD, I wish I did though…**

The blinding morning sunlight hit his face, waking him instantly; he cursed himself for not closing his curtains last night, but it wasn't easy to remember things when you're trying to work yourself into a drunken stupor. Damon stretched, kicking the sheets over the edge of the bed, the only reason he got out of bed these days was because of how irritating the sun was on his skin, thankfully it didn't burn because of his ring but it still didn't feel anything close to pleasant.

The sun danced off his bare chest before he pulled the curtains together, with a sharp hiss from them, he blocked out the sun and the rest of the world. His closet was filled with familiar looking clothes, all black, all expensive, even after centuries he couldn't get rid of old habits, having the finest clothing was just something he had grown accustom to.

After pulling on a black shirt and jeans he had planned to go downstairs, but something didn't feel right. He looked around his room, scanning every bit, his senses heightened; everything was quiet, too quiet.

The curtain drew back swiftly by itself, allowing the rays of sunlight to stream in; Damon was at the window before the curtains had time to stop swaying, a smash from behind him made him turn back to his room, his bottle of scotch was lying in pieces on the floor.

"Impressive" Damon called out, his voice flat and definitely not impressed. "Why don't you come out and try that in front of me?" he growled from deep in his chest.

He waited for a second, before a clenching pain went all the way through his body, starting from his feet all the way to the tips of his hair. He doubled over, holding the bed frame for support, white splotches appeared in front of his eyes, and his vision blurred around the edges until he blacked out completely, his fangs extended in rage of being immobile, before he felt himself fall to his knees. He lay motionless on the floor, drifting into an unconsciousness that had nothing to do with alcohol for once.

"_Master, it's time to wake up, your father requires your presence immediately" Damon stirred, wearily rousing to the voice of his hand maid, a young black girl in her early teens, sounding panicked. _

"_Yes, yes I'm up" he said, yawning, "Father will just have to be patient" The young girl grimaced at the thought of keeping his father waiting. She hurried to retrieve Damon's clothes, placing them on his bed, unbuttoning his cream shirt._

"_I can do that myself, thank you" he snapped his dismal, sighing as he watched her hurry out of the room, he didn't mean to scare her, he didn't mean to scare anyone, but recently it had proved to be a challenge to keep from getting angry. Just knowing that Katherine could be falling for his brother at this very second enraged him more than he thought possible. _

_He took his time changing into his clothes before making his way to the parlour, finding his father pacing in front of a roaring fireplace. His head jerked up as Damon entered, a scowl replacing his anxious expression._

"_When were you planning on telling me about this?" Giuseppe Salvatore glared at his son, his eyes intense, like they usually were when he was angry, a trait that had been passed down to Damon though his genes. He held a crumpled letter in his hand, gripping tighter to it than was necessary._

"_I'm not a mind-reader, father" Damon knew he was being disrespectful, but the look of hatred on his father's face cleared away his guilt._

"_It's a letter I received today; a letter had to inform me that you were not returning to your studies because my own son didn't bother to tell me!" his voice rose, a deep shade of scarlet rising from beneath his collar, usually Damon would take this as a warning sign but today, it amused him to incredible lengths._

"_I do not wish to return there anyway" he replied with a casual shrug he knew would push his father over the edge._

"_You don't' wish to return there" he bellowed in shock, "I have spent a fortune to give you a good education, and this is how you repay me, by getting thrown out due to reckless living" _

"_So that's what this is all about? I should have known it was the money that you cared about" Damon said with a humourless laugh._

"_That's it" he shouted, a hand slapping down on the hand carved, polished table with an echoing snap. "You will bring no more disgrace to this family"_

"_I'm not the disgrace of this family, how long was it after mother died before you brought those jailbait tarts back to the house, two weeks, three?" he asked bitterly, looking at his father with disgust._

_Giuseppe's eyes narrowed, his hands balled into fists as he approached Damon, who stood there, chest out, head up, bracing himself but not backing down. _

"_You'll take that back" he spat, the back of his hand, hitting against Damon's face. Damon stumbled, falling backwards, a hot pain on his face, a copper taste in his mouth, a taste which was his own blood. Giuseppe grasped his hand with the other one, looking down at Damon, emotionlessly, "I should have shipped you back to the war while I had the chance, next time I won't hesitate. I only have one son now because as far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me" _

Damon woke up with a searing headache; the room felt like it was spinning. He tried to discern where he was, he could see broken shards off glass a few feet away from his head. He was in his room, his body was in pain, but at least he could move this time. He jolted to his feet, with the grace of a cat but had to sit on his bed after the room started spinning.

"Finally, I thought you'd never wake up" _Katherine, _he thought bitterly, he thought she had left town for good a few months ago, but he should have known it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of her. She entered his room, walking confidentially and unfaltering in her six inch heels, a cruel smile on the corners of her lips.

"Katherine, I'd say it's nice to see you again, but I'd be lying" his smirk didn't reach his eyes, as he held his head in his hands until finally the room felt like it had stopped moving.

"You always were _so_ charming" she said sarcastically, her fingers running over the smooth surface of his dressing table, before turning back to him with a wide smile, showing her extended canines.

"What do you want?" he growled, pushing himself to his feet despite the shooting pains in his legs, he hated feeling inferior.

"It hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" she laughed briefly, a sinister sound, he could never imagine such a noise coming from Elena's lips.

"How are you doing this?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Magic, your not the only one who knows a witch" she shrugged, coming forward to him, "It will only get worse if you don't cooperate"

"What do you want?" he repeated, with more emphasis this time.

"Stefan" she said simply, his chest tightened in a different kind of pain this time, yes he hated her now, but rejection still hurt no matter who it was from, not that he'd ever let her know that.

"Then why don't you go torture him?"

"He's not going to listen, not when he's all loved up with 'lena" she rolled her eyes, never understanding why Stefan would choose her when he could have the real thing.

Damon could understand though, if he had the choice he would pick Elena over Katherine any day, he put it down to Katherine having broken his heart though deep down he knew the truth; he loved Elena.

Katherine seemed to know this fact better than him, as she was willing to use it to her advantage, "You're going to get Elena to tell you she loves you, or else the pain is going to be a lot more unbearable"

He shook his head in disbelief, "You want me to compel her"

"No, no compulsion, once she admits she loves you, her and Stefan will be finished, mark my words" she said with a twisted grin, "Then Stefan will need a shoulder to cry on, and guess what?" she leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a whisper, "I got two of them" she laughed this time joyfully.

"In case you haven't noticed I stopped doing what you wanted a long time ago"

She let out an exasperated sigh, "Come _on, _all you have to do is get her to admit it, I've been watching all of you for a while now, she already loves you, you have to be an idiot to not have noticed"

"First off, the whole watching us thing;_ immensely_ creepy, and secondly, get out" he smirked at her narrowed eyes and tight scowl.

"You will do this Damon, because if you don't you won't be the only one in pain, I can do that to Elena too, didn't you know?" the smirk disappeared off his face, reappearing on Katherine's, a triumphant glow in her eyes, "You have a week, everyday until you get her to admit it, your going to go through this whole little painful-immobile situation, got it?"

He nodded, clenching his hands at his sides so he didn't try kill her right then and there, "Good, then get to it" she leaned closer, brushing her lips off his playfully, her nails running over his dark shirt, he closed his eyes, fighting the urge to yank her hands away and slam her into the closest brick wall. He opened his eyes after a few seconds, to see an empty space where she had once stood, he collapsed back onto the bed, his muscles relaxing in relief as the pain numbed. Her voice echoing through his head, _she already loves you, you have to be an idiot to not have noticed, _a part of him had the urge to smile despite himself but the more dominant voice in his head made him suppress Katherine's words like the flashback he had suppressed, some thing's were to painful to think about.


	2. The Bet

A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted this story, and again I don't own The Vampire Diaries, though I wouldn't mind having my very own Damon… anyway here it goes...

Damon sensed her presence the second she walked in the doors of the Grill, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around, he had came here straight after Katherine left, needing a drink before he did anything to help in the plan she seemed obsessed to accomplish. He would never have agreed to it if she was only threatening him, maybe that made him a masochist but if it meant he kept his pride he would have suffered through it. Though it wasn't as simple as that, he couldn't stand the thought of Elena having to go through the pain that had left a centuries old vampire writhing in pain on the ground.

"It's a bit early to start drinking" her tone was condescending but the gleam in her eyes showed she wasn't being serious, at least not completely, though a part of her wished he didn't rely on drink so much. She pulled out the barstool next to him, sitting down with an exaggerated sigh.

"Ah that would be true, _but_ I haven't stopped drinking for a few days, so technically I'm not only starting now" he smirked at her, before downing the remainder on his drink.

She rolled her eyes, taking his empty glass before he had the chance to call back the bartender for a refill "I bet you couldn't go without drink for a day" she scoffed, though smiled, a challenging look in her eyes.

His hand reached out to take the glass back from her, but he paused, hand still raised in mid-air, "And if I win the bet?"

"Then you get the satisfaction of sobriety" he reached out again for the glass, but she turned away, stretching her hand further back, "Ok, ok what would you like to win?"

Damon stopped himself, a smartass comment on his lips, then thought about how this may be the perfect opportunity to start on the whole Katherine related mission, "I want a week"

"A week of what?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing together, starting to wish she hadn't of said anything, all she had came over to do was ask him where Stefan was, but somehow there was something about him that made her forget about other worries once talking to him.

"Your undivided attention, no Stefan, no Vampire Barbie and definitely no witch" he turned to her then, revealing the full gaze of his hypnotic blue eyes, watching her reactions carefully, still watching the youthful glow in her eyes as she considered his offer.

"Say I agreed to this, then you would have to agree to what I wanted if you failed" she had a small smile on her lips, that made him nervous for a second but he nodded for her to continue, "If you lose, you can't make any sarcastic comments for a whole month, you have to start calling Caroline and Bonnie by their names, and reduce your intake of alcohol"

He stared at her intently for a few seconds, before grinning, "It's a deal, because there's no way I'm losing this" her smile faltered for a second, a bit shocked he would have agreed, but she regained composure and extended her hand.

Damon shook her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it lightly, she yanked it back, hitting him on the arm with a laugh that he couldn't help but fall in love with. "So what do you want to drink? I'm buying" she teased.

"Tempting but I never pay for drinks anyway, so it wouldn't make much difference but I think I might have some of my all-time favourite drink instead" he pondered, locking his gaze on her neck. She raised her hand to her throat, a relax she had ever since she found out about vampires, her cheeks flushing slightly, her blood racing a little bit faster, which only tempted him more, "Relax, I was joking, unless you're offering?" he added, with a suggestive rise of an eyebrow.

"I would offer, thing is I sort of need my blood to live" she laughed, sliding his glass back to him.

"Elena" Alaric came up behind them, greeting Elena with a bright smile, Damon hadn't even heard him approaching, he could never think straight when Elena was around him with those big doe-like eyes, and that damn smile, that made him lose track of thought. Alaric turned to Damon, his expression becoming more serious as he nodded to greet him, they were hanging out more often lately, and even beginning to trust one another, though neither one would admit they were friends. Damon didn't like to think he could have friends, for some reason Elena couldn't understand so she put it down to a lifetime of seeing the ones he cared about grow old and die, maybe it was less painful for him if he cared less. And Alaric, well maybe he just didn't want to think he could befriend someone who had made a woman that he had once loved into a member of the undead.

"Shouldn't you be off grading History papers somewhere?" Damon asked with a mischievous smile.

"Shouldn't you be off feeding on helpless girls?" Alaric deadpanned.

Damon faked an offended expression, "That was low, 'Ric, so low" he shook his head, reaching for his empty glass, frowning then slamming it back down, old habits die hard.

Alaric smiled briefly, rolling his eyes, "I'm waiting her for Jenna, she said she'd stop by before work" he explained to Elena, watching Damon curiously as he glared into the glass as if he could refill it if he stared at it long enough.

"She might be a while, she was still in her dressing gown and slippers when I left, and only on her first cup of coffee, she'll have two more before she fully wakes up" Alaric nodded thoughtfully, "So if you're not doing anything for a while you should stay and talk to Damon, make sure he doesn't drink anything stronger than water"

"Are we talking about the same Damon?" Alaric asked, only half joking because most of the time Damon had a glass of liquor glued to his lips.

"Funny" Damon said dryly, "I'll have you know, I'm a pioneer, well for the next 23 hours, 57 minutes and 12 seconds anyways" Elena held in a laugh, jumping down from her stool to offer it to Alaric.

"We've made a bet, he can't drink alcohol for a day" she explained, "Let me know _when_ he does" smirking at Damon's withering glower, she picked up her bag that she had discarded on the floor, heading towards the door, somehow she knew he was staring at her when she walked away, she turned back and confirmed her suspicions, his glare was replaced with a considerate look, even as Alaric was chatting endlessly to him, he still kept his gaze locked with hers. If he had to go a lifetime without drink just to spend time with her, he'd do it.

…

Elena pulled into her driveway, shutting off the engine she got out of her car. She felt her heart jumped when she closed the door, Stefan was standing in front of her, seeming to have appeared out of thin air. Her hand covered her chest, the beating of her heart echoed through her ears, "Could you make some kind of sound next time?" she asked breathlessly.

He chuckled, pulling her into his arms to hug her, "Where's the fun in that?"

"It'll save me from a heart attack" she mused, playing with the zip of his jacket between her fingers, "Where were you? I was calling your cell but couldn't get through"

"Hunting with Caroline" he said quickly, even after all this time he didn't like talking about his vampire related needs, "Sorry, the reception in the forest isn't the best"

She nodded a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"What have you been doing this morning?" he asked, she knew he was trying to change the subject, and a part of her wanted to tell him that she wouldn't judge him, that he shouldn't be ashamed to talk to her.

She decided against it, knowing it would cause an argument she couldn't handle this early in the morning, her eyes brightened as she thought of her morning, "I made a bet with Damon, he's not allowed to drink for the next 24 hours"

His eyebrows drew down, a furrow appearing between his brows, "What does he get out of it?"

Elena couldn't help the slight pout that appeared on her lips, she thought he would have been pleased that Damon was making progress, "Something about me spending more time with him" she shrugged, it really wasn't that much to ask for, she could handle a week, right? Then again she might not have to, if Damon lost the bet.

"I don't like the sound of that…" Stefan drew back to look at her, "Making a bet with Damon is as dangerous as making a deal with the devil"

"Stefan-" she was about to tell him he was overreacting but he was shaking his head, looking more anxious by the second.

"I'll talk to him, maybe I can get him to call it off" he couldn't help but imagine different scenarios of why Damon wanted to spend more time with Elena, each one scaring him more than the last.

Elena placed her hand on his chest, making him look down at her serious expression, as she said meaningfully, "We've been through a lot this year Stefan, but we're not the only ones, Damon's been through it all with us, if we have a chance to make bets or do whatever people do for a laugh, then why not? We might as well make the best of this time before something life threatening happens again"

He looked down into her eyes for a few seconds, trying to control the voices that were screaming in his head that if it had anything to do with Damon, it wasn't harmless fun. After battling the urge to listen to the voices he nodded, "Fine, if you trust him, then why not?" He could list multiple reasons why not to trust Damon but he didn't want to take the smile from her face, so instead, he walked inside with her, going about the day as usual all the while thinking, _what is Damon up to this time?_


	3. Surprise!

After lunch at Elena's house, which consisted mainly of Elena eating while Stefan talked since he was full from his hunting trip earlier the same morning, they made their way to the Boarding House. Caroline's car was already parked in the driveway when they arrived.

"I wonder what Caroline's doing here" Elena murmured, unbuckling her seatbelt and accepting Stefan's waiting hand to help her out.

"I'm not sure, she usually tends to avoid Damon at all costs" It was true, Caroline could never fully relax around Damon, partly due to the fact he had compelled her so frequently in the past, drinking from her like a walking blood bag, but mostly because it was hard to tell what mood he would be in from one moment to the next, he was volatile and even though she was a vampire now, it still unnerved her.

They made there way through the foyer, exchanging glances as they heard the smashing of glass from the kitchen. Seconds later, Caroline walked out looking slightly dazed; frown lines appear on her pale forehead.

"Car, is everything ok?" Elena asked, moving forward to place a hand on her friends arm.

"No, I came her looking for you, to talk…" she trailed off shaking her head, as the glass continued to smash in the kitchen. Stefan started to move cautiously towards the kitchen door, "It's Damon, there's something _seriously_ wrong with him" Elena rushed past Caroline heading towards the door that Stefan had just entered, dread overwhelming her, _was he hurt? Did he have another emotional break-down? _

She froze at the doorway, the door hitting against the wall with more force than she usually used, Stefan was standing with his back to her, feet firmly on the ground as he stood and watched his elder brother.

Damon was standing at the sink whistling; he had rolled his drink trolley into the kitchen and was currently pouring a bottle of whiskey down the sink, throwing the empty bottle in the open bin that was half way across the room. He looked up at them while reaching for the next bottle, his lips curving up into a smirk.

"Can I help you?" he purred, pouring two bottles at a time, watching the liquid slosh out of the bottles, twirling into the sink before spilling down the drain.

"What are you doing?" Stefan blurted out, still not moving from his place.

"Isn't it obvious?" Damon asked, sending two bottles sailing across the room, landing in the bin with a loud crash as they smashed into small sharp fragments.

"You're really serious about this bet" Elena stated, not asking a question because she already knew he was serious, she should have known it from the beginning, Damon was determined and more than willing to sacrifice something important to get what he wanted.

He sent her a relaxed smile, shrugging his shoulders, "What can I say, I aim to please"

"Elena, why don't you go check on Caroline, she looked like she might have been in shock" Stefan said, looking as worried about Caroline's overdramatic behaviour as he could manage.

"Yeah, sure" she said, casting a last glance at the nearly empty drinks trolley, not able to control the small smile of appreciation that tugged at the edge of her lips as she went back to check on Caroline.

Stefan advanced forward, placing his clenched fists on top of the kitchen worktop, "Alright, what's this really about?"

Damon gave him an innocent look, sending the last bottle through the air to land on top of the discarded pile of bottles, "You're going to have to be more specific, Stefan"

"This bet you've made with _my_ girlfriend" he sounded territorial, and Damon knew if he was holding a bottle right now, it what have been crushed into the palms of his hands or over the top of Stefan's head, whatever one would have made him feel better, most likely the latter, "And also this little charade" Stefan added, gesturing with a wave of his hand towards the empty drink cart.

"I can assure you _little_ brother, this is no charade I'm a changed man, for the time being anyway"

"I don't believe you, and you may have others fooled into thinking that, but I know you. You want something more out of this bet than you're letting on" Stefan's voice was low, not wanting his voice to carry any further than the kitchen, he couldn't afford for Elena to think that he didn't trust her because he did, the problem was he couldn't trust Damon.

"Believe what you like, I honestly couldn't care less" he gave him one last smirk; a menacing light filled his eyes, before he pushed the trolley back through the doors that lead to the living room.

Stefan ground his teeth together, breathing a frustrated sigh before reluctantly following after him.

Elena and Caroline had gone upstairs, from what he could tell, they were in his room from the sounds of Elena's heartbeat. He strained his hearing and caught a few words of what Caroline was saying, something about Matt, girl talk; something he didn't feel like being part of. He also didn't want to stay and listen to Damon's incessant whistling, he could have sworn the only reason he was doing it was to annoy him, so he left a note of the table by the door telling her he had gone for a walk and would be back soon, before heading to the forest beside the Boarding House, as far away from Damon as he could get.

….

Damon was reading one of Jonathan Gilbert's diaries, he had once thought he was just some rambling fool in his human days, but now that he read some of his inner most thoughts he began to see how close to the truth about the supernatural world Jonathan had been. It was while reading this diary, sprawled across the sofa that he began to feel a tremendous pain vibrate through his body, gaining power as it went, and it felt like a stake had been ripped through his chest.

His body felt warm, far to warm for comfort, beads of sweat covered his forehead, his back drenched in sweat and his shirt sticking to it, he felt like he would pass out from the heat, and a few seconds later that's exactly what he did. The diary slipped out of his hands, falling to the floor, his mind went blank until a memory replayed before his closed eyelids.

"_Stefan, is that you?" Katherine called out, trying to keep quiet as to keep from waking anyone, it was late in the middle of the night, when a knock on her door roused her from sleep._

"_No, its Damon" he felt a pang of jealousy in his chest, but quickly made himself get over Katherine's lapse as she opened the door, her hair fell in waves down to her waist, the tight curls that were pinned up earlier had been let down, she wore only a white nightgown that didn't quite reach her knees, on a women of her class it should have been disrespectful, but it only made Damon smile wider, always astonished at her beauty._

"_Damon" she greeted with a slight nod, he noticed the disappointed look on her face and had to swallow back the pain he felt, she folded her arms across her chest, a disapproving look on her delicate features, "Don't you know what time it is?" _

"_Yes, I know, I'm sorry" he apologized, if his father caught him he would surely make well on his threat of throwing him out of the house, of course that would mean a public scandal, one that he knew his father wouldn't bear to have tarnishing his reputation, "I just needed to see you" he pleaded._

"_Well you have, so return to your room and we will talk at a more suitable hour" she demanded, already reaching out to close the door. His hand reached out also, closing around her wrist gently._

"_Please Katherine, we need to talk" he begged, watching as her icy expression wavered, she nodded slowly. He came in closing the door behind him quickly, before she had a change of heart._

_She pushed him against the wall, her vampire strength still surprised him even after having months to get used to it. She pressed one hand on his chest, keeping him firmly in place, then leaned in closer, her lips nearly touching his ear as she whispered firmly, "You don't get to tell me when we need to talk, and you don't have the right to come her, uninvited at these hours" _

"_Katherine-" at this point he would have got on his hands and knees and begged her forgiveness, but it would have been useless when she was in one of these moods._

_She interrupted him, her hand covering his mouth as she looked him dead in the eye, "If you really want to be with me, then why do you act like this? It's improper, why can't you be more like Stefan?"_ _Of all the things Katherine had said to him, that one hurt the most, his chest felt tight, and suddenly the room was too warm, he felt trapped under her disdainful gaze, all he wanted to do was show her he loved her, why did it have to be so difficult?_

_His head felt light and dizzy as he struggled for breath, trying not to show her how much she had effected him, he walked to the door, leaving and only making it as far as the hallway of his room before he collapsed against a wall. It was too much to bear, he was starting to lose her but he wouldn't give up without a fight. _

Damon sat bolt upright, wiping the perspiration off his forehead, and taking large intakes of breath that he didn't need, he didn't want to back to those places in his mind, places he had tried so long not to think about. As his vision slowly returned, he almost flinched as he saw Katherine kneeling beside him until he realised it was Elena and she was calling out his name.

"Damon…Damon? Are you alright?" she was pushed the hair from his face, holding his face in her hands, her own face pinched with concern. Caroline stood behind her, looking at Damon wearily, looking just as confused as earlier.

He moved his arms and legs slightly, getting out the last aches from the pains that had taken over his body, then focused back to Elena, "I'm fine" he didn't like the way his voice sounded hoarse, he didn't like to look weak; not ever. Katherine had promised to cause him pain until he got Elena to admit one way or another that she loved him, at the stage though this felt like a possibility.

"You're not _fine_" she rebuked, "We heard you screaming, and come down to find you collapsed" she shook her head, her turn to try and control her breathing.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Caroline asked, sitting on the other sofa and leaning forward, "Please tell me vampires don't catch fevers or something, cause that would suck so bad" she was going to go into a full blown story of her last fever, one she had before she had turned off course, but stopped herself when Elena looked at her with wide eyes, a sign she knew meant not-the-time.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth Damon" Elena's eyes were set, expression unfaltering as she stared at him, "What's going on?"

Damon looked into those beautiful brown orbs, ones that were full of concern, concern for _him. _He knew he would have to be ruthless, because there was no way he was going to let Katherine cause her the same pain that he had experienced.

Honesty was one of the things Elena could always rely on when it came to Damon, but he was going to have to change that. He used his years of experience of lying to put on his best poker face; still somehow lying to Elena was a lot harder than he cared to admit…

**A/N thank you to everyone who reviewed/ alerted etc… Next chapter will be the end of the bet and you'll see who wins and you'll find out what lie Damon comes up with, please let me know what you think of it so far! **


	4. Blame it on the Alcohol

**Damon looked into those beautiful brown orbs, ones that were full of concern, concern for **_**him. **_**He knew he would have to be ruthless, because there was no way he was going to let Katherine cause her the same pain that he had experienced. **

**Honesty was one of the things Elena could always rely on when it came to Damon, but he was going to have to change that. He used his years of experience of lying to put on his best poker face; still somehow lying to Elena was a lot harder than he cared to admit…**

"Withdrawal symptoms" Damon answered with a casual shrug of the shoulders for good measure, Elena gave him a sceptical look so he continued, the key of lying is in the details, "I've been drinking everyday for the past century, and just going cold turkey like this is bound to have some affect"

"Withdrawal symptoms" Caroline scoffed, trying to control the wild laughter that was trying to erupt from her throat, "You've been off drink for half a day"

"Give it a rest Barbie, or I'll make you" he threatened, Caroline stuck out her tongue but she kept quiet, there were lines she wasn't prepared to cross yet.

Elena sighed deeply, biting her tongue to hold back a warning to Damon to stop threatening Caroline. The whole thing seemed ridiculous, he was a vampire, vampires shouldn't be affected by things like withdrawal symptoms from alcohol but she had no reason not to believe him, she trusted him to be completely honest with her at all times. So she nodded, and Damon tried to hide his relief.

"We have to call off the bet" she decided getting to her feet and smoothing her jeans.

Damon's eyebrows rose, not quite expecting that.

"No way"

"Way" Elena said forcefully, "I'm not going to watch you in pain just so you can win a bet"

"I'll be fine, it's just another day" not quite true of course, saying as Katherine was going to torture him until Elena said she loved him, which he still couldn't see happening anytime soon.

"Damon…" she sat down beside him but before she could argue he interrupted her.

"I get it, you're scared your going to lose" he challenged her with triumphant eyes, she was competitive almost as much as he was, it wasn't the reason why she wanted him to stop the bet, that was her caring side shining through, but still he noticed the determination in her eyes.

"Fine, the bet's still on, it shouldn't be too long until you give up anyway, because all it would take was one little sip to help numb the pain" she smiled teasingly, hoping he would give up partly because she wanted to win and mainly because she didn't like to see anyone hurt, especially not someone she cared about.

"Good, but lets not tell Stefan about what you both… witnessed" Damon said in a lowered voice.

"You mean the part where _Damon Salvatore_ was writhing in pain?" Caroline asked, enjoying this _way_ too much. "Scared it'll make you look bad?"

"Caroline" Elena warned, knowing full well that Damon could stake Caroline quicker than she could convince him not to, "We won't tell" she assured Damon, giving Caroline a pointed look.

"_Come on_, Elena" Caroline whined, giving her the best puppy dog eyes she could, she'd been waiting to have something over Damon for way to long to have all her fun ruined.

"Do it for me, Car" Elena pleaded, she didn't quite know why Damon wanted to keep it from Stefan, her best guess was pride, he never wanted to look weak.

"Fine" she said reluctantly, slumping further back into the chair with her arms crossed.

Elena smiled at her friend, she could always count on her, and she looked back at Damon who was watching her with a thoughtful look, trying to figure out how she could make people do what she wanted so easily, almost like she had a way to compel them.

"There better be a good reason why I'm lying to Stefan" she said standing up, it was one thing to say she would keep things from him but it was much harder to actually do it, "Tell him I'll talk to him tomorrow, Jenna's expecting me back"

"I'll give you ride" Caroline said, jumping to her feet, not willing to stay alone with Damon.

Damon walked them to the door, waving as their car pulled out, "Just 14 and a half more hours" he muttered to himself, looking around the darkened corners of the forest that surrounded the house, Katherine was probably close-by he assumed, after her last stunt of making him pass out. _The next time I see her I won't hesitant to pull her heart out._

…

Elena turned in her sleep, subconsciously facing away from the window, to keep the bright morning light from fully awakening her. She was still half asleep but somewhat aware that she was in her bedroom, so the soft murmur of her name was enough to bring her into consciousness. Her eyes opened tiredly, instantly connecting with steel blue ones.

Damon lay on his side facing her; she returned the smile that was on his lips, before her eyes started to drift shut again. Only when her lids were closed did she realise that she wasn't sleeping, her eyes opening quicker this time, a lot more alert.

Damon's lazy grin had turned into an arrogant smirk, "Do you know what time it is?" he whispered.

She groaned into her pillow, it was far too early to attempt to wrestle a vampire out of her bed, "Funny, I was about to ask you the same question" she answered dryly, shutting her eyes tightly in the hopes of falling back to sleep instantly and waking up to a peacefully empty room, but no such luck.

"It's four minutes past nine" he informed her, turning to rest on his back, smiling up at the ceiling.

"If Stefan finds you in here…" she trailed off, it was hopeless Damon wasn't scared of Stefan.

"Then he'd have to leave, wouldn't he?" Damon asked, continuing before she could answer, "Because that's our deal, I have your _undivided_ attention for a week"

Elena's eyes widened, mentally kicking herself for being so slow, it had been a full 24 hours since they made the bet "You mean you've-"

"Stayed on the wagon" he finished his blue eyes brighter than she had ever seen them, "So, I say we go for a victory drink to celebrate"

"Damon…" she sighed.

He pressed a finger to her lips, "No arguing, I won you lost, deal with it"

She rolled her eyes but nodded, pushing back the covers she made her way to her wardrobe, but Damon made it there first. He opened the wardrobe doors, examining the content.

"No, no way" she said, pushing past him to stand protectively in front of her clothes, "I'll give you all the attention you want but I'm drawing a line at you controlling what I wear"

He held his hands up in surrender, taking a step back, "Have it you way, for now" he added, "Meet me outside when you're ready and make it quick we only have a week"

She tossed a cushion at him, as he walked out of her bedroom door, which he swiftly dodged, throwing a smirk at her over his shoulder.

_This is going to be a hell of a long week. _

**A/N Damon won! This should be an eventful week for them, please let me know if there's anything extra you want to happen and reviews are welcome!**

**JGE x**


	5. A Trip Down Memory Lane

Elena looked out the window at the vast stretch of forestland at both sides of the car as Damon drove intricately through a narrow, winding road. She didn't know where they where heading, she had gave up trying to guess after they past fewer and fewer road signs, she hadn't seen one for the past twenty minutes.

Damon had been quiet the whole time, his eyes covered by dark shades but he kept a smirk on his face the whole time. She was trying her best to suppress a sigh of frustration, why did she ever think she could have won a bet to Damon? She was almost relived when the ringing of her cell phone interrupted their silence,_ almost; _because Damon's hand flashed down and grabbed it from the dashboard before she could get it.

"Hey" she said in protest, but he ignored her, pushing his sunglasses to rest on top of his head, he answered her phone.

"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying" he answered, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he watched Elena's brow furrow.

"Damon?" Elena could barely hear Stefan's voice on the other end of the phone, "Why do you have Elena's phone?"

"Sorry but I think you've got the wrong number" Damon expertly switched the phone to his other hand, keeping the steering wheel in place, to avoid Elena's outstretched hand and disapproving look.

"Damon" Stefan growled, "I'm going to Elena's house right now, and if she isn't there by the time I get there, I swear I'm going to-"

"Going to what?" he asked a slow smile spreading across his lips, "I wouldn't bother going to her house, you'll only be disappointed"

"Stop with the games Damon, where is she?" Damon could practically see the frown lines that he knew would be on his brother's forehead.

"She's safe and for the next week, she's mine" Elena's eyes narrowed as she looked over to him, a silent threat, "It was nice catching up but I'm busy right now so call back later, wait on second thoughts, don't." with that he ended the call, putting the phone in the pocket on his jeans.

"Phone" Elena demanded, her hand held palm up, impatiently. It's was bad enough he was acting like he owned her, she refused to let him take away her only way to contact Stefan.

"Do I have to remind you of the conditions of our bet?" he asked, turning to glance away from the windshield, "_Undivided _attention" he stressed.

"You can't be serious" Apparently he was, because he pulled his sunglasses back down over his eyes, proving it was not up for discussion.

She leaned her head against the cool glass windows, watching the endless amount of trees that flashed by her window until they finally begun to become clearer as the car slowed to a crawl. She looked over to Damon as he pulled the car in as tightly to the edge of the forest as he could.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Because we're here" he said with no other explanation as he stepped out the car. She followed suit, the warm breeze felt nice on her skin after being in the car for so long.

"I thought we were going to a bar" in her mind she had pictured them arriving back in Georgia, not that she wanted to though, it was too early for her to even think about drinking and also because she didn't want a repeat of what happened there last time. Sure I was fun, up until Damon nearly got killed.

"We will, later" he said, already moving towards the edge of the forest, "Well? Are you coming?" he asked looking back at her over his shoulder, walking forward before she even responded. She followed behind reluctantly, but after a minute or two she started to enjoy traipsing through the woods, the sun beamed down casting rays through the shelter of the branches, her boots sinking into the moist ground until she finally caught up to him and he turned to look at her.

His sunglasses had been abandoned in the car, and she could now see the dark shades of his eyes casting rays of light of their own kind.

"I came here, after I turned into a vampire" he said his eyes scanning through the trees with a distant look, the birds singing above them cheerily, and it felt wrong to Elena somehow; such a joyful sound, in the mix with the tragic look his eyes held. "I walked around for days, until the blood lust took over; I killed a man from a nearby house."

He paused to look back at her, "I should have felt like a monster, I should have been disgusted by the taste of his still pulsing blood as my teeth ripped into his flesh, but I wasn't. Instead I felt alive, more alive than I've ever felt, but at the same time I was able to forget about everything else. That's when I learned to flip the switch" he lips curved into a humourless smile, "I didn't have to feel the pain the Katherine had left behind, or the bitter taste left in my mouth from the spiteful words I said to my brother. I just didn't have to _feel_"

"I've never told you this before, but I'm glad Stefan found you first" he said, his hands unclenched but after a second he clenched them again, he felt the need to reach out to her, feel her soft skin under his fingertips, just to remind himself she was real, that she was _here_, but he stopped himself.

Her lips parted to say something, anything, but how was she supposed to respond to that? She didn't like the way her chest tightened, and the way it became a lot harder to breath, the once fresh air now seemed suffocating.

"I use to imagine what it would have been like to have met you first…" he trailed off shaking his head like it was an impossibility, "but now I know, if I had have met you first, I would have used you, used you like I used Caroline and the hundreds of girls that came before her"

"Damon-" she wanted him to stop, she couldn't listen to this. He wouldn't ever hurt her, she knew that, he just still had to realise it. She moved forward, but he took a step back.

"No, don't tell me I wouldn't have, because I would have. And I would have enjoyed it that much more because you look so much like her" his eyes were cold and menacing, "I would have savoured every second that I took you're blood, I would have compelled you so much you would have barely remembered your own name. I would have wanted you to hate me so then maybe I could learn to hate you back, so I could get over her"

"Please, stop-" he caught her off again, stepping forward with inhuman speed. His finger pressed over her lips.

"You need to hear this" his voice was soft, but the look in his eyes were hard and desolate, "I killed more people than I can remember, I've made lives unbearably, and I know you like to think I still have my humanity, but I don't. I lost it a long time ago, if I was still human I wouldn't have been able to live with what I've done"

Hot tears burned behind her eyes, threatening to spill at any given second, but she couldn't speak the look in his eyes were enough to silence her protests.

"I may not be able to reform like Stefan, but I just need one week, because maybe I can't ever get my humanity back but for you I'll try" his hands held her face, willing her to understand, pleading with her to give him the chance he didn't feel like he deserved.

She nodded weakly, unable to choke out words, her eyes closed as she leaned her forehead against his. The only thing she could do to stop the tears.

He stood still for a second, just holding her close, because that's all he could do right now, all he could do to stop from changing his mind, and just downright begging for her love. No, he wouldn't beg, he would earn her love, no matter how difficult it would be.

**Let me know what you think, thanks x**


	6. The Chase is On

Damon was the first to pull back, a sad smile graced his lips before he turned away, starting to walk through the forest again, this time his pace was more of a carefree stroll. Elena walked beside him, stealing quick glances at him, fascinated by the look in his eyes, like he was reliving a fond memory. The urge to reach out and take hold of his hand was overwhelming, maybe it was the maternal side of her that wanted to comfort him, she wasn't sure, but she kept her hands at her sides out of fear that she would take the thoughtful look out of his eyes.

Damon's eyes leisurely scanned the forest, he had acknowledged the beauty of it before, but today he felt a true sense of appreciation for it. He had remembered a time where he looked at the world with a blissfully unaware, naïve view, the kind of way Elena always seemed to be cable of; seeing beauty in everything. That was one of the things he adored most about her, her innocence.

They came to a flowing stream; the water was making soothing sounds as it ebbed down further through the gap in between the mossy ground. Damon sat down slowly, pulling off his shoes and socks and placing his feet in the clear, crystal-like water. Elena sat beside him after he looked up at her with what she perceived to be a welcoming smile. She kicked off her sandals, dipping her feet in slowly; surprised to find the water the rippled over her toes was warm.

Leaning back on his elbow he embraced the sunlight ignoring the discomfort of his exposed skin as rays of light hit him.

"Why did you take me here?" Elena blurted out unable to stay silent any longer, "I mean, I thought you would have wanted to drink something as soon as you could after the bet, you know with the withdrawal symptoms and all" she added hesitantly, not wanting to have to point out his moment of weakness.

"Has Stefan ever told you about our Father?" he asked suddenly, watching an eagle soar majestically through the sky, it's wings spread wide as it cut through the air seeming larger than the sun itself, from where Damon lay.

Elena's eyebrows drew down in confusion at the change of topic but she answered anyway, "Stefan doesn't talk much about the past" she said it almost sorrowfully, Stefan had lived for over a century, and while others could always talk about history they never had the chance to be apart of it, and see it first hand like Stefan had. Even so, he never liked talking to her or anyone about it, he must have witnessed some incredible events in his past, events that will never be able to be talked about, and she thought it was a shame but she never pushed him for information.

"No, I guess he wouldn't" Damon agreed, Stefan hadn't always been a martyr, it made sense that he wouldn't want to talk about the past, not only that but because most of his life he had been searching for ways to be with Katherine, just like Damon, except Stefan would never admit it, especially not to Elena, "My father was a drunk, but he was good at hiding it, after all he had to keep up appearances" Damon scoffed, closing his eyes as he listened to the pitter-pattering footsteps of the small woodland creatures, "I would come home to find him finishing off bottle after bottle, most nights I stayed out as long as I could but he was always waiting when I came home, ready to take his anger out on me" Elena flinched at the mental image of a young boy being hit, feeling hatred for a man she hadn't even met.

"I swore to my self I would never be like him" Damon fell onto his back with a defeated sigh, and a humourless smile on his face, "Guess we had more in common than I thought"

Elena's hand immediately reached out to hold his, that was resting on his abdomen, "You're not like him" she meant it with every fibre of her being, while Damon might drink successively he would never hurt his family, and she knew deep down, he would never hurt her either.

He shook his head, even after all the time he had spent with her it never failed to amaze him how she always looked for the good in him, "You're the last person I need to remind about what I've done"

"That's in the past, you've changed" she rebuked.

He rolled his eyes, continuing where he had left off, "He preferred Stefan, obviously, but one day he did hit Stefan, he was only nine at the time, I found him crying out in the garden. That was the day I decided to hit back" he intertwined his fingers with hers, bringing them up to the light, transfixed by her smooth, delicate skin.

"What happened?" Elena asked, when it didn't seem like he would continue, she wasn't sure she wanted to know but at the same time she felt like she needed to.

"I was young but he was drunk, so one punch was all it took and he was on the floor. The maids found him in the night; it took five of them to get him in his room and on to the bed. For a drunk he had a good memory though, he stormed into my room that morning, this time with a cane, let's just say it wasn't pretty but he never hit Stefan again after that"

Elena felt tears burn at the back of her eyes, but she held them back, she doubted Stefan even knew what Damon had done for him that day so many years back. Damon might have liked to believe that he was always a monster, but she knew the truth.

She knew now why he had taken her here, he was showing her the part of him he had always kept hidden, answering the questions she had always been afraid to ask, he was showing her his humanity.

In the blink of an eye he was on his feet, helping her up with the hand he still held, "It's getting late, we should go see about that victory drink" Elena looked up to the sky to see the sun was getting lower and lower down, the day had gone so quickly.

"Here, you drive" her breath caught in her throat as she felt cold metal being pressed into her hand, she looked down in disbelief to see the keys to Damon's car in the palm of her hand.

Even Stefan had never let her drive his car, so she never thought that Damon would in a million years.

"Seriously?" she asked, trying not to get too excited in case he was just kidding.

He smirked, if he'd have known letting her drive his car would have made her smile the way she was right now, he would have let her earlier, "Just don't damage the paintwork or I'll bite"

Elena smiled wider than she ever remembered doing in months, taking hold of his hand again she pulled him along, taking off in a half-sprint towards his car, Damon couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

…

Jeremy ran down the stairs of the Gilbert house, towards the loud rapping on the door. He refrained from calling out impatiently that he was coming, after all Bonnie was suppose to be coming over soon, but when he opened the door he was slightly disappointed to see Stefan standing there instead.

"Hey, Elena's not here right now" Jeremy said dismissively, he didn't mean to sound rude but he was distracted when he saw Bonnie's car pull up in the driveway, and unintentionally his lips curved into a wide grin.

"I know. Do you know where she might be though?" Stefan asked, stepping a bit to the left to block his view of Bonnie, in an effort to get his attention.

Jeremy sighed inwardly, trying to think where she might be, "I don't know, her bed was empty by the time I woke up, try her cell"

"Damon has it" he exhaled deeply, leaning against the doorframe, he already phoned Caroline and she had no idea either, he was hoping Jeremy at least knew where she was.

"Damon has what?" Bonnie asked coming up behind him.

"Elena's phone and Elena herself" Stefan felt the urge to hunt, for Damon in particular, he always felt the bloodlust the most when he was frustrated and nothing could frustrate him more that not knowing if Elena was safe.

Bonnie tensed, her good mood about spending the afternoon with the younger Gilbert disappearing "Why?" she demanded, not the only one to be over-protective when it came to Elena.

"That stupid bet she made with him" Stefan clenched his teeth trying to regain composure.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow in confusion but before she had time to question what on earth he was talking about, Jeremy asked: "Why don't you just use your magic to track her done?"

Honestly, Jeremy wasn't that worried about his sister's safety, if anything she was as safe as she could possible get when she was with Damon; he would kill anyone who even looked at her the wrong way. Though he did want Stefan to find out where she was so his day with Bonnie wouldn't be completely ruined.

Stefan looked over to Bonnie with a hopeful look; she nodded her eyes set with determination as she walked past them both into the hallway and started giving them instructions of what she would need.

…

"Are you trying to kill us?" Damon asked watching the ever-climbing dial raise as Elena's foot pressed down further on the accelerator.

She looked over with a sheepish grin, slowing down slightly even though she knew he was only teasing, "Like a car crush would even bruise you" she dismissed.

"It's the car I'm worried about" she knew he was lying, he knew it himself, he cared about her, but she didn't call him out on it. That was how it was with them though, in the hopes that if they didn't confront issues they wouldn't exist.

She was tempted to roll her eyes but she didn't want to take her eyes off the road, "We both know you could have any car you wanted"

"True, but I thought you didn't like compulsion"

"I don't, it's not fair to make people do things they don't want to" she was about to protest further but he was right about what he said earlier, he wasn't going to be able to reform over night, and she didn't want to push her luck.

"How do you know they don't want to be compelled? If a vampire couldn't compel then vampire attacks wouldn't be so…pleasant" he smirked at the grimace on her face when he said pleasant, but he was only telling her what he believed to be true. "I can make them forget about being scared and enjoy the experience, would you rather they were in pain?" he countered, but Elena wasn't going to back down, she had a full argument mapped out in her head; that was until she spotted the flashing red and blue lights in the rear view mirror.

Elena groaned, she started to slow down and pull over but Damon said "Keep driving"

She gave him an incredulous look, like he had lost his mind, which she didn't rule out as an explanation for his strange behaviour, "Come on, Elena live a little" he coaxed.

She wasn't sure what made her do it, it definitely wasn't compulsion she knew that from the cold metal of her necklace on her skin, maybe it was the insane glint in Damon's eyes, willing her to go faster or maybe those three little words; live a little, the words she was getting so damn sick of hearing from everyone ever since her parents death, but whatever it was had pushed her over the edge.

Forgetting about the consequences or her own personal safety, she pressed down on the accelerator; hard. The car lurched forward, the engine humming loudly as she navigated through the narrow roads, too scared to look back.

Damon smiled watching the concentrated look in her eyes as she stared straight ahead at the gravel road. The police car blared their sirens, and the chase was on.

Damon grabbed a bottle of water from Elena's bag, lower the passenger side window, and tossed it out.

"What are you doing?" Elena demanded.

"Relax, I didn't hit it, if I was aiming for it I would have" he shrugged innocently.

"Then why throw it?"

"To make them go faster" he was enjoying this, and even though Elena wouldn't admit it she was feeling a rush of adrenaline, not the usual _'Oh God, I'm going to die'_ kind, it was more exhilarating.

That was until she remembered Stefan, and felt a wave of guilt wash over her, she wasn't suppose to be having fun with Damon, she should be with him, what would he think if he saw her now, driving way over the speed limit and not pulling over?

Damon's plan had seemed to work, the police car was inches behind them now, almost about to overtake them. Elena turned the wheel violently; the wheels screeched as she applied the brakes abruptly, her hands in a vice-grip on the steering wheel.

Reflexively Damon's hand gripped the dashboard the other one reaching in front of Elena to keep her in her seat.

"_Shit_" she muttered, surprising them both, as suddenly the reality of the situation kicked in now that the car was still and her thoughts had time to be processed.

The police car had parked in front of them and an agitated middle-aged man was heading towards the car. His face was red all the way up to the top of his bald head; the only trace of hair left seemed to be coming out at the sides like silver strands. With every step he took her heart beat quickened. If anything Elena was grateful for, it would have to be the fact it wasn't the Mystic Falls Police, she was sure her heart would have jumped right out of her chest if Sheriff Forbes was here.

Before the police had reached the car, Damon got out, his hands raised above his head.

"What are you doing?" Elena hissed, with wide eyes.

"Surrendering, I suggest you do the same" he whispered with a dark smile, leaning forward to the window so only she could hear.

"Damon I can't get a ticket, Jenna will _kill_ me" she forced on a sweet smile as the officer came closer, trying her best to fake innocence.

"Well, I could just compel him" Elena nodded enthusiastically, until he continued her face becoming drastically pale, "_but, _'it's not fair to make people do things they don't want to'" he quoted her, if they had to go to jail for her to agree with him about his views on things, then so be it, Elena wasn't the only one who liked to prove a point.

**A/N (Just so you don't go out speeding after reading this, I wanted to let you know they are trained professionals so please don't try this at home… or should a say in a car?)….. Anyway please let me know what you think x**


	7. Ignorance is Bliss

"Sir, please get back in the car, I'll deal with you in a minute" the officer said as he approached.

Damon tore his gaze away from the death glares Elena was sending him through the windscreen. The officer walked past Damon, going to Elena's side of the car and tapping on the window. Reluctantly she rolled the window down, trying her best to look like an innocent, law-abiding young women.

"Do you know how fast you were going, Miss?" his voice stern like a parent disciplining a bold child.

She looked helplessly over to Damon, who was now leaning against the car, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh, "I'm so sorry Officer um…Jackson" she said reading his name badge, "I didn't realise I was going so fast". It sounded like a weak excuse and she knew it, but before when she didn't pull over she just took for granted Damon would bail her out.

"Refusing to pull over is a serious offense" he continued like he hadn't heard her, his shoulders squared, he held out his hand, "License and registration".

She swallowed deeply; Jenna was going to kill her. "I don't have it on me right now… I didn't know I would be driving today" she added, he frowned, folding his arms across his chest, so she continued, unable to stop the babble that seemed to be tumbling out of her mouth uncontrollably, "You see, it's not my car and I'm not use to driving it and…" she trailed off, aware of the frown lines that seemed to be multiplying on his forehead.

"So this isn't your car, you don't have any proof that you have a license, you were way over the speed limit and you refused to stop?" When he put it like that, she felt like putting the keys in the ignition and driving as far away from here as possible.

"Tut tut, very naughty Elena" Damon commented, enjoying making her sweat.

"Didn't I tell you to get back in the car? Don't think I've forgotten about your attempt to hit my car" Officer Jackson demanded, to which Damon simply shrugged, he turned back to Elena, "Step outside the vehicle, Miss"

With a heavy sigh she got out, and Damon couldn't help the smirk that curved onto his lips. At that moment, a seething anger came over her; she wanted to smack that smug look off his face, to take away the triumphant gleam out of his eyes. She was sick of him always being right, she might like to think she was a selfless person who wouldn't mess with other peoples minds, but she wasn't, she was just as bad as him, and in that moment she couldn't handle it.

She ran at him, her hands flailing wildly as she tried to connect her hand with his face. It was the last thing Damon was expecting, Elena was always full of surprises today, so they landed in a heap on the ground as she screamed, "This is your fault".

His wrists wrapped around hers, as he avoided the blows, even while Officer Jackson was ordering her to stop, she kept trying. It was pointless though, Damon's grip was too strong, she soon grew tired, all of her sudden adrenaline quickly fading. She looked down at the man, whose chest she was now perched on, as his grip loosen on her wrists. They stared at each other for a few seconds, his eyes frighteningly calm, the fight had left her eyes, and instead they were filled with regret for her actions.

There was something about him that brought out a different side of her, a side that scared her and thrilled her at the same time.

Arms wrapped around her waist, and she was pulled backwards, off of Damon. Officer Jackson only now able to step in, now that it was safe for him to not get accidently hit by Elena's strikes.

"That's enough" he said placing her down, off to the side, he removed his handcuffs from his belt, tightening them harshly around one of her wrists, then as Damon got to his feet, he added one to his wrist, attaching them together with handcuffs, in the hopes that if they tried to run they wouldn't be able to split up. "Maybe some time in a cell will make you learn to get back into a car when told to do so" Officer Jackson said to Damon, who smiled bitterly, before turning his attention back to Elena, "Don't you think you've broke the law enough today without adding assault to the list?"

Elena involuntarily huffed, reflexively going to fold her arms, but realizing she'd be yanking Damon's all about the place if she tried, and she was not about to try win a match of tug-of-war with a vampire. As they were hustled inside the backseats of the police car, Damon asked, "What about my car?"

"I'll send someone to fetch it" the officer said getting into the front seat and starting the car.

"I don't let just anybody drive my car, for your sake it better not be one of those twelve year old looking boy racers" he complained, but was ignored as Officer Jackson pulled out into the road and headed towards the station.

"It's not" Damon said, after a few minutes of silence, turning his head to look at Elena.

"What?" she asked, her head still spinning as she thought of all the trouble she was going to get into.

"It's not my fault, sure I told you to drive but I didn't grab the wheel and force you to, you made a choice" he smiled briefly, "You can blame me for a lot of things, but this one was all you"

If she wasn't so worn out, she would have protested, but she didn't have much of an argument. She knew she would have got a ticket at most if she hadn't tried to hit him, and in front of an officer, yeah, definitely not her wisest move. Though it didn't mean she wasn't angry at him, he could easily break the handcuffs, and get them out of there in less time it took to get them in the car.

The car finally came to a stop outside a small police station, Damon willing walked into the cell inside, dragging Elena along behind him. The doors closed with a resounding slam, one that reverberated through Elena's head as she slumped against the wall.

"What's with the pout? You got to see the back of a cop car and we got these_ totally_ retro friendship bracelets" he said pulling his hand up, making hers yank upwards with it as he examined the shiny metal handcuffs, always the masochist Damon seemed to be making the most of his time behind bars. While Elena cringed at the idea of having to phone Stefan to explain what happened.

She tried to give Damon a withering look, but she never could stay angry with him for too long, maybe because of the innocent looks he pulled, at the same time he had a mischievous spark in his eyes, that reminded her of a vulnerable child, but Damon was anything but innocent. He had done things in his past, that had given her countless nightmares, but she always seemed to be able to move past those things, if it was anybody else she doubted she would forgive them so easily.

She stood up straight suddenly, and this time he was almost certain she was going to start trying to hit him again but instead she stood in front of him, meeting his gaze straight on. "Ok, fine you win. I was wrong, I was being a hypocrite, and I should have just agreed with you that _maybe_ sometimes compulsion is a better option if it keeps people from getting hurt" She paused to take a deep breath to prepare herself to say the next part, "Damon, if you care about me at all you'll get us out of here, _please_"

She watched his face that was blank from emotions her heart beat quickened when he put his arm around her waist and swapped their places, trapping her between the wall and his body. He smiled, his eyes lighting up like he could read her thoughts, like he knew all her secrets. His hands pinned her arms against the cold wall, moving closer than she thought possible, he whispered into her ear, "If I agree, you'll owe me, big time" she shivered as his warm breath skimmed over her skin, her eyes closing for a second, opening again seconds later, to see into the depths of his blue eyes.

His lips were coming closer to hers, and in that second, it didn't matter that she loved Stefan, or that she was in a cold jail cell or that her morals told her this was wrong. How was it possible that something which felt this right seem wrong?

She closed her eyes, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as she waited for his lips to connect with hers, but they didn't. Instead she felt his arms hold her and lift her off the ground. Her legs wrapped around his waist, as he blurred over to the bars of the cell, bending them back like they were made of paper, then they were rushing towards the police officer, who was compelled in a matter of seconds, to forget all about them, all the while Elena's mind was going through a state of shock, what was she thinking? She was about to let Damon kiss her, in only less than a day, Damon had made her question everything she had ever known, she feared to think what would happen in the space of a week.

…

Bonnie sat in the middle of an Old Persian rug in the Gilbert living room, encircled with unlit candles, her Grimoire lying opening in front of her.

"Blood, please" she said holding out her hand to Stefan who stood off to the side after wearing out the floorboards with all the pacing he was doing.

He reached into his pocket, bringing out a vial of Elena's blood, blood that Elena had encouraged him to carry around in case he had any blood cravings. He had to admit earlier that he had Elena's blood as it was essential for the spell to work. Even being worried about Elena, he still felt a bit ashamed that he relied on Elena's blood so much, especially with Jeremy there. Though he needn't worry since Jeremy seemed too fascinated with what Bonnie was doing to care.

"I found a map in my car," she said unfolding a piece of paper, "It shows Mystic Falls and towns close by, he couldn't have taken her too far"

Stefan nodded, but Jeremy spoke up, not able to keep his thoughts unheard any longer, "I don't understand, I thought you trusted Damon" he said to Stefan.

"I do, I trust him not to go on a rampage and kill everything that has a pulse, I trust him to not do anything to jeopardise the trust we have with the town's council, but I can't trust him with Elena. We all know Damon; trouble always seems to follow him"

"No, he _is_ the trouble" Bonnie interrupted.

Jeremy wondered if it was really Elena who Stefan couldn't trust, he always knew Damon felt something towards his sister, but he never thought Elena would requite that feeling, but he wasn't about to ask, he had learned a few things when working with vampires, there was always a good time to keep your mouth shut.

"Curtains" Bonnie muttered with her eyes closed.

Stefan was at the windows before Jeremy had time to blink, he shut the curtains and returned to his spot just outside the circle.

Bonnie's hand made an upward gesture and suddenly all the candle were lit, casting a dim glow on her face. She opened the vial of Elena's blood chanting foreign words under her breath; she tipped the vial over slightly, allowing a drop of blood to spill onto the map. Jeremy and Stefan watched as the blood moved across the map, it didn't seem to soak through the page though as it left no trial as it weaved through the roads, finally stopping over one place in particular, forming a red circle around it before disappearing completely.

"There" Bonnie said, pointing a well-polished nail to where the blood had been.

Jeremy felt a sense of dread, and he knew his day with Bonnie was now officially ruined as he asked, "Why is Elena in a Police station?"

**A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far, and especially angeleyes1505 your message meant a lot to me and made my day, honestly along with my obsession with Damon, reviews are what keep me updating, I'll try update as soon as possible, thanks for reading! **


	8. Road Trip?

Elena kept her eyes closed as Damon carried her through the forest on the outskirts of the road, trying to stay inconspicuous to passing cars. He had decided only moments ago that she walked far too slowly, now they were both moving at an inhuman speed in the direction Damon hoped would lead him to his car.

She felt nauseous from the speed but it soon faded being replaced by the sharp chill in the air, now that the sky had turned from a brilliant cloudless blue to a darkening grey colour. She was glad for the distraction though, she didn't want to think about anything right now, over-analysing everything was what made her thoughts so complicated, and it got her to the point where she couldn't distinguish her thoughts from her feelings.

Damon stopped suddenly, if he wasn't holding on so tightly to her she would have jerked forward, she opened her eyes reluctantly as he put her on her feet. His head was tilted to the side, his hand held up to silence her as he listened intently. Only when his hand raised did she realise they were still handcuffed together.

"The cars coming" he informed her, looking as nonchalant as ever. She envied the fact he could act like nothing affected him but at the same time she knew what happened when he bottled everything up; his thoughts would eat away at him inside, until he was pushed to far over the edge, resulting in what had come to be his usual reckless behaviour. Because of that people would end up dead, girls would end up with a lot less blood and a very bad case of amnesia, and Damon would pretend everything was fine as he slowly fell apart, leaving her to pick up the pieces.

"Good. Could I have my arm back now?" she asked, leaning against a tree, exhaustion flooding over her as she shook her wrist for emphasis.

"I don't know. I thought they were quite kinky" she sighed inwardly; he was doing 'the eye thing' again, his brows were raised suggestively.

"Damon" one word was all it took for him to know she was being serious.

"Spoilsport" he smirked, reaching down with one hand to snap the metal that encircled his wrist, the handcuff was left dangling from Elena's arm.

She held out her hand for him to break off her side next, but instead he took her hand, brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. "Keep it as a souvenir" he murmured, just as smoothly as if he were still in the 1900's. She narrowed her eyes, about to pull back her hand when instead he let it drop.

"Stay here" he was gone before anything else could be said. He lay flat on his back, in the middle of the road, his eyes closed, as still as a corpse.

She heard the familiar hum of an engine approaching, and on reflex almost ran out to shout at him to move, but she checked herself in time, staying put behind the cover of a huge oak tree.

Damon's car appeared from around the corner, and only seconds later, the brakes were slammed on. A uniformed Police Officer exited the car, not bothering to close the door as he ran towards Damon's unmoving body. He reached down to check his pulse, the colour in his cheeks visibly draining. Damon's eyes opened suddenly, he was on his feet in the next second, and the officer stumbled backwards. The veins under Damon's eyes became prominent, his fangs extending. The Officer fell back against the hood of the car, plain horror etched onto his features, his trembling hand reaching for the gun in his holster.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Damon's head inclined, his eyes never leaving the Officers.

The man ignored him, grabbing his gun and aiming it directly at Damon's chest. With a resounding bang, that made Elena flinch, the bullet shot forwards straight through Damon's clothes, skin and tissue. A deep red staining his black shirt, "You're going to regret that" he muttered, already in the process of pulling the bullet out, it clattered to the ground, to Elena to sounded even louder than when it shot from the gun. She wanted to move forward, tell- no beg him to stop, but she couldn't she felt like she was a bystander in a twisted dream.

"Who are you?" the man asked with a mixture of disgust and sick amazement.

"You mean, _what_ am I?" Damon corrected, the fear emanating from the man drawing him closer, a predator teasing his prey.

Elena felt her knees grow weak as Damon grabbed him by the collar, his teeth bared and inches from the man's neck, "Forget about me, about the car" he demanded, his eyes dilated. "Run before I change my mind and drain you" it was probably one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do, letting go of his hold on the man, and watching as the man ran aimlessly away from him.

Elena let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and walked towards Damon's turned back. She rested her hand on his shoulder, making him jump slightly, for a second he forgot she was even there.

"I'm proud of you" she whispered, for a second she thought he would give into his instincts and kill. She had been trying to prepare herself to try and forgive him, as disturbing as it was to think of, she had grown accustom to him losing his temper, but maybe she was wrong, maybe he had changed.

…

Jeremy sighed as he looked out at the darkening sky, any hope of spending time alone with Bonnie quickly dying. He was in the back seat of her car; Stefan sat, with an impatient tapping of his foot, in the passenger seat, as Bonnie pulled into the Police Station.

"I'll get her" Stefan said, getting out of the car before it even stopped.

"You don't really think Damon would let anything happen to her, do you?" Jeremy asked Bonnie.

She turned around to look at him, even though she wanted so badly to see if Elena was OK. "You know I can't trust him, Jer" she said remorsefully, it wasn't that she wanted to trust Damon, more that she wanted to reassure him Elena was fine.

"I know, but if anything you know you can trust him with Elena, he loves her" he insisted, maybe Elena was too blind to see it, and maybe Damon was too stubborn to admit it but he wasn't. Damon had been there for her, putting his life on the line at any given second to protect her, and he did it because he loved her, no matter what he said to deny it, facts were facts.

Bonnie watched him thoughtfully for a few seconds before finally nodding, she wasn't prepared to verbally agree just yet, she didn't think she'd ever forgive Damon for everything he'd done and she hoped Damon's love wasn't returned by Elena, but there was no point ignoring the obvious.

There silent exchange was interrupted as Stefan opened the car door with more force than was necessary, "She's not there" he said, sounding frustrated.

"What do you mean she's not there? You were there I did a tracking spell" Bonnie demanded.

"She's not there" he snapped, shocking Bonnie and Jeremy.

After a few deep breaths, he looked ashamed, "Sorry, it's just- well the Officer's been compelled he can't remember anything, the bars in the jail cell were snapped in half…" he trailed off, slamming his fist onto the dashboard, "I swear when I get my hands on Damon-"

"Whoa there, we all just need to relax, I'm sure Elena's safe, let's just go to the Boarding House and wait" Jeremy, the voice of reason, interrupted.

After an internal battle, Stefan nodded, and Bonnie started the car, continuing on their wild goose chase.

…

"Why are we stopping?" Elena asked, after a silent, thought-collecting journey back to Mystic Falls. Damon had pulled into the parking lot of The Grill.

"I forgot to feed you" he said simply, a dull thudding had started thumping through his head, and he needed to get away from her as soon as possible, or else she would witness him collapsing yet again.

"I'm not an animal, I can feed myself" she said tiredly getting out of the car, she stopped when she saw he wasn't making any move to follow, "Aren't you coming in?"

"Blondie's in there, I'll give you a twenty minute break from our bet for good behaviour" he winked, even though the thumping in his head had turned into a thunderous uproar.

"Ok" she agreed, eyeing him cautiously as got out of the car, "I'll see you soon then"

"Yeah, bye" he managed, though it was getting increasingly difficult to breath.

When she was safely inside, he got out of the car, his fists balled, jaw clenched, "Enough already" he snarled turning in circles, his eyes darting to all corners of the lot.

"I thought you liked playing games" Katherine's voice came from behind him.

He turned, reaching out to grab her neck, but his knees buckled from underneath him, "Damn it, Katherine" he growled, his hands gripping the sides of his head.

"Damn what? Damn you? Oh wait, I already have." She laughed a bitterly sweet laugh, bending down to his level.

"Getting her locked in a jail cell, really?" she asked sarcastically, "How the _hell_ was that suppose to make her love you?"

"And you think forcing me to make Elena think she loves me, will make Stefan love you?" he retorted through the pain.

"Fine, have it your way, if you think being locked up together will make her love you, then that's exactly what we'll do" Damon didn't like the gleam in Katherine's eyes, it was never a good sign, those cold, calculating eyes were the last thing he seen as the inevitable darkness took over.

…

"No way, _you_ were arrested for speeding?" Caroline exclaimed after Elena had explained what happened; Elena shushed her as the waiter brought over their food.

She waited for the waiter to leave before she answered, "It was a moment of madness, one I'm not planning on repeating" she explained "I need you to do me a favour"

"Sure, shoot" Caroline said, eyes lighting up, hoping for more gossip.

Elena brought her arm up onto the table, showing the handcuff she was discretely hiding behind her cardigan when she came in, "Could you break it?"

Caroline tried to refrain from laughing, _Elena,_ the girl who had for the last year been the poster girl for sensibility, was wearing a handcuff.

"Caroline" Elena groaned, wanting it off her wrist as quickly as possible, she could not have Stefan seeing her with this incriminating evidence, "Can you get it off me or not?"

"Ok, ok" Caroline laughed, looking around to make sure no one was watching before breaking the cold metal lock and freeing Elena's hand.

"Thanks" she said relieved, massaging her wrist, she put the handcuffs in her bag, hoping to later remember to dispose of them. She began to eat her food, mainly because she knew Damon would be here any second to check if she had ate, but as soon as she started she realised just how starving she was, this was the first thing she had ate all day.

When she put her fork down on her empty plate, and had finished answering Caroline's endless amount of questions, she asked her, "Could I borrow your phone? I need to call Stefan, Damon took mine" she explained.

Caroline raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow but handed her phone over without another round of interrogation.

"I'll be right back" she promised, getting up and manoeuvring her way through people to get to the front door.

The silence outside was a drastic contrast to the laughter and music from inside, she pulled her cardigan around her tighter and dialled Stefan's number.

"Did you find her?" Stefan asked as soon as he answered the call.

"It's me, Elena" she replied, confused, but glad to hear his voice; it helped clear away the insanity of today's events.

The urgency in Stefan's voice calmed, "Thank God, I was looking for you all day, are you OK?"

"I'm fine, I just had a… road trip with Damon" she thought it best to leave out the details.

"Where are you now?"

"The Grill, with Caroline, but I think I'll be heading home as soon as Damon comes back," she hoped that Damon wouldn't be too much longer it had already been half an hour and she was anxious to get home to her warm bed.

"I'll be there in five minutes; I'll give you a ride home, ok?" he asked but his question never did get answered.

Instead all he heard was a sharp intake of breath, and a thud as Caroline's phone dropped to the ground. "Elena?" he asked, repeating himself louder when silence was all that he got in return, "Elena?"

Though, his attempts were useless, because at that very second an unconscious Elena was already being dragged away from the phone, away from the safe haven of The Grill.

_**Please Review!**_


	9. Left for Dead

Damon felt strangely disorientated, like he had just slept for a century, the world seemed to be spinning in the wrong direction. He was surrounded in darkness but had enough strength to see clearly. She was standing in front of him, enjoying the sight of him slumped against a wall.

"It's about time" she commented, walking over with a lazy saunter and huge grin.

"Where am I?" he asked, no snappy comebacks this time around, he was too dazed to think of one fast enough.

"You got you're wish" Katherine's eyes sparkled with the threat of an underlying challenge.

_Fine, have it your way, if you think being locked up together will make her love you, then that's exactly what we'll do. _

Katherine's words suddenly echoed mockingly through his mind, his eyes instantly sweeping the room. He found Elena in the corner, laying unnervingly still, her dark hair sprawled around her.

A low guttural growl came from the back of Damon's throat. He pulled himself to his feet in a flash but when his hands flung forward to grab hold of Katherine and rip her apart, bit by bit, he was jerked backward.

He looked down at his wrists with an obvious frustration. They were bounded by a metal chain secured firmly into the wall. When he tugged at them again, his wrists started to sizzle and turn a bright red.

"Laced with vervain" Katherine said, as if he couldn't tell, "I'm doing you a favour here Damon, don't mess it up"

"And what about when Elena starves to death? Do you think that will make my brother go running into your arms? Even Stefan will be able to see through your act"

"If Elena dies it will be your fault" she said simply, "Get her to proclaim her love for you and the spell on this place will be lifted. If you don't, then I guess you'll be stuck in here for the rest of eternity with nothing but Elena's bones for company"

He lunged for her again, his face contorting in rage, his fangs ripping through his gums painfully. The chains squealed from the strain but didn't budge. His wrists were starting to smoke but he didn't care all he wanted to do was rip her throat out.

"Your hurting yourself more than your hurting me" she moved closer, a harsh teasing smile gracing her lips, "Better hurry, Salvatore, time's running out," and with that she was gone, the door in the far corner of the room, slamming shut, sealing himself and Elena inside.

…

Caroline was about to go and check where Elena had gotten to with her phone when Matt came over, clad with a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder and a basin half filled with plates.

He nodded stiffly, piling the empty plates up before putting them into the basin. Things had been strained lately between them, with Matt suspicious about the amount of time she seemed to be spending with Stefan, unaware that they were out hunting woodland creatures. Then there was Tyler, his best friend, who seemed to be taking an unhealthy interest in his on-again off-again girlfriend.

Caroline reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him leaving, "Matt" she said feeling the most vulnerable she had felt since the start of her undead life.

He looked down at her hand, instantly her grip loosened when she realised it was too tight for the average teenage girls strength, "We need to talk" she continued, her voice gaining strength.

"There's nothing to talk about" he retorted, looking at the other side of the Grill. Sure that he was planning his escape or at the least wishing escape was an option she soldiered on.

"I miss you" she didn't like the way her voice cracked. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, their chance at being together died the same day she did, but for some reason she couldn't help needing to be with him. Maybe it was because her love for him had heightened when she changed, but right now, she would give everything she had to turn back the clock. Everything was _so_ much easier when she was just the happy-go-lucky, ditzy blonde who was starting to fall in love for the first time.

Now though, she was the never-aging vampire who loved Matt so much that she was willing to stay away from him if it meant he was safe. Tonight however, that wiliness, that strength to turn off her emotions was quickly being overshadowed by his presence.

He shook his head, in what she believed was disbelief, "You've been the one avoiding me, so don't even think about playing innocence card"

"It's…I can't explain it but I haven't been myself lately" she started, looking down at her manicured nails unsure of what to say next. She felt like her soul was being pulled apart, she wanted so badly to say she loved him but she couldn't because they could never be together.

She could see the next ten years before her eyes, he would grow up while she stayed the same, he would meet a girl that would be able to be with him and they'd have beautiful children, children that she would never be able to have, children that would never be able to have her as their mother.

"I can't take it anymore Caroline, all this strange behaviour and disappearing acts is too much. Either you want to be with me or not, which is it?"

"Caroline" Stefan said, coming up behind Matt, whose shoulders had dropped in defeat, with a barely audible sigh he walked away giving her a look which quite clearly showed he had all the answers he needed.

"Where's Elena?" he asked, oblivious to her exchange with Matt.

"Outside" she said glumly, her usually optimistic spirit gone.

He almost asked her what was wrong until he realised what she had said, "I just came in from outside, she wasn't there"

Caroline looked up at him, her mind working overtime to figure out just how long Elena had been gone, "She said she'd be right back"

"How long ago was this?" he asked, with, what Caroline called his taking-no-prisoners serious face on.

She groaned, almost kicking herself for being too preoccupied with her own worries to even think about her friend, "Too long" she answered jumping to her feet to catch up with Stefan who was already making his way outside.

As the left The Grill, they stood at the front doors and looked out at the empty car park, their hearts dropping to their stomachs.

"My phone" Caroline said lowering down to her knees to pick up the shiny pink phone that had been left on the ground, which she could only assume Elena would have dropped if someone had taken her "So I'm guessing leaving wasn't her decision"

They both exchanged worried glances, before saying in unison, "Damon"

…

Elena shifted her position, but still felt uncomfortable. It wasn't until she squinted her eyes open ever so slightly that she figured out she was lying on the floor.

She could barely see in the dim light, that came only from the little bit of light that shone through a frosted window. Fear evoked inside of her, unsure where she was, the last thing she remembered was being pushed inside the back of a car, where her head had smashed against the car floor, then all that was left was what seemed like an unending darkness.

She pushed herself upright, letting her back fall against a wall. Her bones were aching from lying on the floor for so long, and her head was pounding, so it took her a few minutes to see another body sitting across the room.

His dark head was lowered, his body slouched, his wrists chained. When his head raised and his vibrant blur eyes, which now looked defeated, meet hers, she could feel her heart break.

She had to crawl to get over to him, not willing to try and walk when she felt this lightheaded. Her eyes had filled with tears, but she didn't cry, she needed to be strong, if not for herself then for him.

"Damon, where are we?" she asked, holding his face in her hands, scared by the vacant look it held.

"Who knows, looks like a basement, but I can't be sure" he said, his voice not holding its usual power.

"Who did this to us?"

"Let's face it, when do we ever go a week without something like this happening?" his smirk was forced, and she hated seeing him look like this. He was right they always did get into these kinds of situations but usually the circumstance were worse, right? She wasn't so sure anymore, the look in his eyes told her otherwise. He hadn't answered her question so she left it unanswered.

"Are you OK?" the look in his eyes looked more alive now as he focused on her, his eyes scanning over her body for injuries.

"Me? You're the one handcuffed for the second time today" that made him smile, something under normal circumstances would not have happened but he wanted to make the most of the time he had with her, because she'd probably rather die than tell him that she loves him, and that's exactly what would happen. She would die and he would have to sit and watch her fade before his eyes until he mummified.

He got to his feet, helping her up too; the vervain had been painful to begin with, now it was just downright irritating. "What can I do?" Elena asked, looking for any way to help when she seen the red marks that covered his wrists.

"Take your top off" he said, unwavering.

Her eyes widened, and she would have smacked his arm if he wasn't going through enough pain as it was, "What can I do _to help_?"

"Fine, your cardigan will do" he said with an exaggerated sigh.

She eyed him curiously but not seeing the harm in it, she took off her cardigan, "Now what?"

"I need you to rub the metal around the inside of my wrists; it should get some if not most of the vervain off"

"Oh" she said surprised, she thought he would have gone for his usual act first think later strategy.

"And Elena?" he said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah?" she asked, taking hold of his arm, to start rubbing the cold metal.

"Dirty minded much?"

_**Review please!**_


	10. Live and Die this Way

"Handcuffed twice in one day, you've really outdone yourself this time, Damon" Elena said sarcastically, she was trying her best to keep calm, but it was difficult when Damon kept avoiding her questions. She had got most of the vervain off one of the chains and had moved onto the next one.

"What can I say, I aim to please" his casual smirk helped her to not think about what was going on, because really she hadn't a clue what _was_ going on, other than someone had brought her to a basement and chained Damon to the wall.

The dim sunlight that had shone in through the frosted glass window was now dying down further, and she could see was the slight shine of the metal and half of Damon's face that wasn't in the shadows.

He tugged his wrist forward slowly, to test it out, hissing quietly at the small trace of vervain that was left. He pulled his hand back again then tugged the chains forward with more force. The chains rattled, then with a satisfying snap they broke free from his wrist. Elena stepped back, with a relieved sigh after finishing off the other chain.

Again he tugged gently at first then yanked the chain forward until both his wrist were completely metal-free.

"Can we go home now?" Elena asked, she wasn't able to see the door but she knew it wouldn't take too much effort for Damon to break through the window and get them out of there.

"Not exactly" she stilled for a second, hoping he was just joking or yet again trying to prove a point before he broke them out but it didn't look like he was joking. He moved towards the window and climbed onto a discarded chair, to reach the window. "Stand back" he instructed, before smashing the glass, sending shards flying across the room and dropping down like a snowstorm of sharp and deadly snowflakes.

Elena had thankfully moved to the far corner of the room, feeling her headache come back as she saw Damon put his hand out the window. Though when his hand went forward it seemed to be stopped by in invisible barrier, he turned back to her, jumping gracefully back onto the ground, "I don't think we'll be going anywhere"

"How is that possible?" she said, stepping around the glass fragments and towards the window, testing it for herself. Her hand smacked against something she could see and nearly made her cry out in frustration, "What did you do?" she asked turning back to Damon, her hands firmly in place on her hips.

"We're trapped in her because of a spell, Elena, _I _didn't do this" he said, if he wasn't so pissed of at Katherine he might have felt offended.

"You must have done something to make someone lock you in here"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the only one locked in. So what did _you_ do to make someone lock you in here?" he asked trying to get her to understand what it was like for him. To always be the one accused when something went wrong. And yes, he did know why they were her, but he wasn't ready to take full responsibility for it, or tell her who locked him in or else Elena would never say she loved him. She was stubborn like that.

Her hands dropped to her side, feeling slightly ashamed, after all Damon had been trying so hard to change lately and still she couldn't give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm sorry" she said, moving forward but he refused to meet her gaze, "I shouldn't have said that, I'm just tired and for a while I thought everything was back to normal, then something like this happens" she was on the verge of tears, and she hated crying in front of people, somehow it was worse in front of Damon. She didn't want to seem immature, she had tried so hard this last year to prove to everyone she didn't need someone to look after her, or try protect her, she could do that herself, but there's only so much a person can take.

He looked up at her then, and pulled her into his arms. Something that seemed so natural but at the same time shocked her, she was always the one to hug him, not the other way around. His familiar fragrance of bourbon and some unknown Italian cologne made her relax, his hands warming the places of her skin where he touched, through the thin cotton of her shirt. Her head fit perfectly against the crook of his neck, her hand clutching onto his shirt, because when everything was falling apart around her, she needed something to hold onto, and today Damon was her rock.

"I'm going to get you out of here, I promise" he whispered, at the time Elena didn't know what he was truly promising but he did. He was going to make her love him, even if he thought he didn't deserve her love.

…

Caroline felt an uncomfortably silence descend between her and Stefan as she drove him to the Boarding House. She was about to reach for the radio but decided at the last moment that he probably wouldn't want to listen to the latest Miley Cyrus song while he was trying to plan out how to find his girlfriend.

"I didn't know she was going to disappear, OK?" she said defensively, the silence driving her crazy.

Stefan turned away from burning a hole through the windscreen to look at her, his eyebrow raised in confusion at her sudden outburst, "I don't blame you Caroline, Elena's your friend, I shouldn't expect you to monitor her every move"

"If it's any consolation, I know that Damon won't hurt her" As much of a jackass he was to Caroline she wasn't oblivious to the fact that he would risk his own life for Elena.

"So everyone says" he said solemnly.

"Then maybe you should listen to them" she said hesitantly, "Elena's a big girl; she can take care of herself"

He was quiet for a long time, so long that she thought he wasn't going to respond until finally he said quietly, "Damon cares about her alright, far more than I like to think about. I'm not worried about her safety because he'd probably be better at protecting her than I am. I'm worried that she'll realise that he loves her. I know it's selfish of me to not want Elena to spend time with him and I should have more trust in her, but I also know Damon" he said with a look that clearly showed he needn't explain further.

Caroline was taken back, while she knew Stefan wasn't stupid and would know there was something between Damon and Elena, something they themselves couldn't describe; she didn't think he would ever outright admit it. "Elena loves you, Stefan and after all that Damon's done to her I wouldn't be surprised if she hated him" she said after parking in front of the Boarding House.

"There's a thin line between love and hate" he reached for the door handle, but turned back to say, "I'm just hoping she doesn't realise that before I find her"

…

Damon had found a flashlight in a toolbox; moments later he found seven scented candles in a cardboard box along with old clothes and stuffed teddy bears. He pulled a lighter from his pocket placing the candles around the room.

For the first time, Elena saw the whole basement, it wasn't quite big and there were only a few boxes and an old sofa in the whole room. The scented candles filled the room with a vanilla aroma, Elena curled deeper into the sofa, ignoring the broken springs that made up the lumpy sofa.

"Well?" Damon asked, motioning to the brightened room.

"Better" she nodded in appreciation.

"Why am I sensing a 'but' coming up?" he asked, scrutinizing every inch of her face for what she wasn't saying.

"It's just if we're going to be in here for a while, why use up all the candles?" she wanted to add, where is this person who put us in here and why aren't they coming to gloat? Instead, however, she bit her tongue.

"I don't plan to stay too long" he said with a casually shrug but still blew out six of the seven candles to please her.

He dropped onto the sofa beside her; his arm draping around the back, "Looks like it's just you and me" his eyebrows rose, smiling slyly.

"Yeah, I guess we were stuck with each other for a week anyway"

"Stuck with? Now that's offensive"

She rolled her eyes, smiling, "Please, you're probably counting the seconds to get away from me"

His head inclined, trying for the life of him to figure out what was going on in her head. There's no way she could have been serious, did she really not have a clue about how he felt about her? "If I could choose anyone to spend the rest of my eternity of seconds with I would choose you" the burning desire and bluntness of his words made her body tingle; warmth spreading all the way through her.

"Stop it, Damon" she begged, it was easier out in the real world, with all the distractions of reality, to simply walk away from him or try to set him straight, but here, here in this enclosed space, with no room for ignoring feelings she felt trapped.

"I thought you wanted me to be a better man, all I'm doing is being honest" he needed to tell her, he couldn't let her die, he couldn't watch her starve to death; he had to tell her what only a month ago he had made her forget. "I know you think someone like me isn't capable of feeling, but lately I can't stop feeling, I can't turn it all off anymore"

She couldn't let this happen; she needed to stop him before he said something. Something he couldn't take back, again, something that may possibly turn her whole world upside down.

She placed her finger firmly against his lips, leaning forward on her knees. "Let's not do this now, please" she was growing more anxious, her lips trembled as she tried not to think of what he was planning to say but somehow she knew what he would say. Only she didn't think she could handle hearing him saying those words out loud, she'd spend most of the past year trying to avoid this. She had seen him hurt so many times, and most of those times were because of her, because she refused to love him back, all because she couldn't hurt Stefan. Only Stefan wasn't here. The walls seemed to get closer, the room seeming a whole lot smaller.

He took her hand, taking it away from his mouth and holding onto it firmly as his crystal blue eyes looked into hers, looking glassy in the glow of the candlelight. "I need to tell you this, Elena. You_ deserve_ to know this. I lo-" the rest of his sentence was cut off. Her lips covered his, pressing down forcefully, her eyes shut tight.

The passion was raw and untainted with the uncontrollably need to save him, to save herself. His words meant more to her than his actions, and hearing him say what she thought he might, would destroy everything they had; they would never be the same. There strange friendship or whatever it was they had would be over and she couldn't risk losing him.

He knew he should have pulled back, but this is what he had imagined, this was his dream; to have Elena want him, to kiss him not Stefan. It killed him every time he had to watch them together, knowing that it should be his arms she was in.

His arm wrapped around her waist, instinctively he never wanted to let her go. He wanted this to last, forever. Though she wasn't planning on letting go either, her hand clutched his shirt, her whole body shaking; she couldn't let him finish that sentence.

Slowly her eyelids relaxed, her urgent kisses became slower; she was sort of disappointed because when she kissed Stefan it wasn't as passionate or intense as this. Her hands moved up to his shoulder travelling the length of his neck to entangle into his dark locks as his tongue glided along her lips, begging for entrance.

The need to savour this moment was overwhelming to him, so when her lips slowly parted their tongues fought for dominance meeting one another's with the equal amount of unrepressed desire.

Somehow she had ended up on his knee, in the desperate rush to interrupt him. So when a loud bang sounded from across the room and both of them looked around in shock, Elena would have fell backwards if Damon's hold hadn't been so tight.

Elena was taking laboured breaths, her eyes wide as she looked around her for what had made the gunshot noise. Damon stood, lifting her with him to his feet and placing her behind him, moving into a protective stance before her.

She couldn't see anything from the single dimming glow of the candlelit but Damon seemed to have, as his shoulder muscles tensed beneath his shirt.

"Damon?" Elena asked, "What's going-" _on? _She wasn't able to finish her sentence however, her words silenced as a women stepped out from the shadows.

She moved with the authority of an aristocrat. Her golden eyes emphasising her rich chocolate coloured skin, were now locked with Damon's and narrowed ever so slightly. Her head tilted upwards with confidence, and even though she was wearing a plain top and jeans they seemed out of place, like she should be wearing clothes from a whole different era.

She looked around thirty, though her eyes seemed to hold the knowledge of a lot more years of experience. She was beautiful. Except for the scowl that now seemed to be engraved into her bone structure.

"I should have known it was you behind all this" Damon said, his fists clenching and unclenching.

The woman's cold eyes continued to stare him down, with a look that gave Elena déjà vu. She had seen that look before. Bonnie.

She knew immediately this woman had to be a relative, or more like an ancestor of Bonnie's, she had no real proof but somehow she just _knew_.

"What do you want?" he asked, voice strained, he was doing everything he could to stay in place and not let his instincts take over. Because right now his instincts told him one thing; kill.

"I want you to suffer" her voice was like smooth honey, sweet even when uttering cruel words, "Just like you made me suffer"

"Come on Lucy, let's keep the past in the past" he said with a singsong voice, wondering why these damn Bennett witches always tried to ruin his happiness.

"_Luciana_" she corrected, with a distasteful glare, "Katherine may not care if you get out or not but I've waited too long for this moment to just let you walk away."

"Oh really?" Damon asked with a shrug, "And who says we wont get out?"

"Me" she turned her unrelenting gaze upon Elena, "Let's start by telling Elena about your little deal with Katherine, shall we?"

**Confused? Don't worry if you are it will all be explained in the following chapters, let me you what you think! **


	11. Exposed

Luciana Bennett came from a long line of powerful witches, but unlike other witches she managed to stay alive a lot longer. She was a distant relative of Emily Bennett and Luciana's husband had the misfortune of getting on the wrong side of a vampire.

The year was 1912; the run-down bar in a desolate town was empty all apart from a bartender, Sebastian, and a dark haired man, slouched on a barstool, twirling the contents of his drink around slowly every now and then taking a sip.

Sebastian was growing tired, the night had come and still the man stayed perched on the barstool content on finishing his drink before he left.

Sebastian sighed in frustration as the man put down his glass and just sat looking intently at the cracks in the stained wall. All he wanted was to get home to his newly-wed wife. "We're closing up soon" he said finally but the man's blue eyes seemed to just skim past him, as he looked into the depths of his drink.

"I said we're closing up soon" his hands came down onto the bar but still the man refused to look up. He reached out to take his drink but the man's hand grabbed his wrist, so quickly he didn't see it move. As the vice-like grip clenched around his arm a chill went all the way through his body, warning lights flashed behind his eyes.

"Vampire" he said without having to think twice about it he just knew. It might have been because he was married to a witch and she had warned him about them, or maybe because the look in the vampire's steel blue eyes was anything but humanly.

The vampire's lips quirked up into a lob-sided grin, his head tilting to the side as he looked at the worn-out man before him, wondering if it really was that obvious that he wasn't like the other men around this town. He dropped his hold on his arm, pulling his drink back and bringing it to his lips, his eyes never leaving Sebastian's.

"We don't want your kind around here" Sebastian warned holding his ground firmly, though his hands were started to sweat.

"I'm still thirsty" he said sliding his now empty glass towards Sebastian.

"Then you'll have to go to another bar, because I'm not giving you a re-fill" Sebastian wished his wife we're here. He didn't like to have to depend on her in these situations he wanted to be the one to protect her but she was so much stronger, he was only human after all.

"Who said I wanted a re-fill?" the man asked, rising to his feet with a predatory smile. His eyes fixed intently on the prize; Sebastian's neck.

Sebastian backed away slowly until his back hit against the wall, the vampire hoisted himself over the bar, walking purposefully slow, he was going to enjoy this.

"Stay back" Sebastian demanded, grabbing the closest thing to him; an empty glass bottle. He smashed it against the side of the bar, his hand shaking as he held it out in front of him to the advancing vampire.

In the time it took him to blink, Sebastian was pushed with great force against the wall; the bottle that was in his hand was now pressed against his own neck along with a hand firmly placed against his throat.

The sharp edges of the glass pressed into his neck, with a little less force than would penetrate through the skin, "Hasn't anyone told you not to threaten a vampire?" the veins below the vampire's eyes had become prominent, his eyes were framed with a frightening red but what scared Sebastian the most was the gleam of the vampire's razor sharp teeth.

"Guess I'm just going to have to teach you a lesson" Damon said before lowering his teeth to the man's neck and draining him dry.

…

"What does she mean? What deal did you make with Katherine?"

Damon turned to look at Elena's questioning gaze, but wasn't able to look her in the eye. "Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about" his eyes blazed with hatred as he glared at Luciana.

The look in his eyes reminded Luciana of a time she still had nightmares about. She had been worried about her husband, she had the dinner prepared and he still wasn't home so she went to his bar, she took the long way as the night had a warm comforting breeze, but she regretted not taking the short cut to this very day. If she had of then maybe she would have gotten to her husband in time. Instead though she found him lying cold on the floor, not an ounce of blood left in his body.

She stayed there all night, cradling his lifeless body in her arms, promising to find the one who did this to him. She had come close to killing Damon before, until his brother showed up and they both managed to escape, but that was years ago, she was stronger now. So when Katherine came to her for help, she was more than willing because letting Elena die would mean Damon would know how it felt to know the one you loved has died and you weren't able to do anything about it.

"Are you saying you didn't tell Katherine you could get Elena to tell you she loves you, and that you won't get out of here unless she does?" Luciana asked.

"Damon?" Elena asked quietly, the look she gave him so guarded he couldn't tell what she was possibly thinking.

The guilt in his eyes was all Elena needed to confirm Luciana's words.

"It's not like that" he protested but Elena had turned away, finding it hard to get oxygen into her lungs, a pain grew in her chest as she fought of tears. Tears of anger, regret and betrayal were all threatening to overtake her, and break her down from where she stood. She didn't know why it hurt so much, Damon had done so much worse than this before, but somehow this time was different, she felt _used_. So much so that she felt filthy, she just couldn't look at him right now, because she knew if she looked into those perfectly blue eyes she would see herself reflected in them and right now she couldn't stand to look at herself because she felt like just another mindless girl Damon's decided to mess with.

"Elena" his voice sounded so broken and defeated, that it took all she had not to turn around and scream at him to stop lying and putting on an act, pretending like he cared about her at all.

"I guess I'll leave you to it" Luciana said, her work her now done. Damon would have slammed her into the closest wall if she hadn't of disappeared, she was all but an image this whole time, probably while sitting in the comfort of her own home. She had stayed alive for more than a hundred years through channelling other witches energy, obsessed with one thing; revenge.

Damon moved forward, his hand reached out towards Elena's shoulder but then let it drop before he touched her. "I can explain"

"Save it" she spat, she wasn't going to cry, no, her tears would not be wasted on someone who couldn't give a damn about her. She whirled around violently, the Petrova fire burning brightly in her eyes and carrying through into her voice, "You do _not_ own me, and you _can't_ make me say anything"

"I didn't want it to be like this, I didn't ask her to do this. She made me do this, Elena, you have to believe me" he took her face in his hands, willing her to understand.

She looked in his eyes; the brightness in her eyes became cold and hard, her voice low "No, I won't believe you. You're not worthy of my trust anymore. I'd rather die than say that I love you"

His hands dropped to his sides, after a few seconds of looking at her unwavering gaze.

He remembered all the times he had ever been staked, stabbed and shot, and all those times put together would have felt a lot less painful than what he was feeling now.

His head lowered, because he couldn't take anymore of it, the look in her eyes would be forever embedded in his mind. Feeling destroyed by the look of repulsion in the eyes of the only person he ever cared about, ever truly loved.

He nodded mutely, more to himself, he had to accept it now, he was fighting a losing battle, and he couldn't save her not when she didn't want to be saved.

The pain so clearly shown on his face, made Elena doubt herself for a second, but just for a second. She wanted to believe that he felt something for her, something more than just blood lust and the need to take something that belongs to his brother but she was just another chess piece in his game.

In the silence of a cold basement they both turned away from each other at the same time. With a feeling of loss, as she turned away, Elena realised in that second just how much she loved him, and she hated herself for it.

…

Stefan and Bonnie leaned over the map of Mystic Falls, the last drops of Elena's blood that Stefan had left trailed slowly along the paper. They both waited, holding their breaths as the blood stopped, then in unison they exhaled sharply.

The blood had stopped right over Bonnie's house, they exchanged a shocked look for a brief second before Stefan blurred up the stairs, finding all the rooms empty he made his way to the basement, as Bonnie ran after him. The door was locked, and even when he tried to break it down it won't move.

"There's a spell on the room" Bonnie pushed past him, her hand pressed lightly against the door knob and she could feel the vibrations of magic emanating from it.

"Elena?" she called out.

…

"_Elena?" _

Damon and Elena looked to the door at the same time. Elena had spent the night with her knees pulled to her chest sitting on an old lawn chair, while Damon sat at the opposite end of the room, his back pressed against the wall and head leaning back. Neither one of them having got any sleep.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked her voice sounding hopefully as she stood and moved closer to the door.

"Elena!" Bonnie sounded relieved, "Thank God you're alright, don't worry, I'll get you out of there"

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked, knowing that while she was locked up in here Katherine was walking around town, free.

"I'm here, Elena" his head was pressed against the door his eyes closed, "She's right, we'll get you out of there"

Damon rolled his eyes "I doubt it" he said, speaking for the first time but still remaining on the floor.

"Damon, what have you done?" Stefan practically growled at the sound of his brother's voice.

"It's Luciana, she's back and she's now best friends with Katherine" he said his voice projecting a fake joy.

Stefan tensed, and Bonnie eyed him with a look of confusion.

"I'll find her, Elena and I'll find a way to get you out" Stefan promised.

"I already know how to get out" Elena said, not looking at Damon.

"You do? How?" he asked his eyes opening and boring into the oak wood.

"Stefan" she sighed, her hand reached out to touch the door, even though she knew she couldn't see him, hot tears filled her eyes, "I'm not going to do it I can't. I hope you forgive me one day, but I can't choose." Elena didn't realise that Damon wouldn't get out unless she said it, she just took for granted that when she died the curse would be lifted, if she had of known things would be different.

Now though she felt the weight of pressure crushing her. She couldn't choose between them, it was either get out by telling Damon she loved him while betraying Stefan in the process, or staying in and dying, which now seemed a much easier thing to do.

"Wait, Elena, slow down what are you talking about?" Stefan urged as Damon's hand's involuntarily clenched.

"I want you to leave, just forget about me, I'm not going to say it someday I hope you'll understand why"

"Elena, what are you saying, you can't say what?"

"This is goodbye, Stefan" her voice broke off and Damon turned towards the wall, unable to hear the pain in her voice, the pain that he had put there.

…

"Elena, don't say that, you'll get out of there" Stefan begged, but she didn't respond, he fell back against the wall, and slumped downwards. His head in his hands, they had gotten through so much together now she was just giving up her life like it meant nothing.

Bonnie kneeled beside him, "If I know more about the spell I may be able to break it, but we need to hurry"

He nodded, "Looks like we'll be paying Katherine a visit"

…

The smashed window didn't allow them to get out but that didn't stop the cold air from seeping in. Damon couldn't stand to see her shiver any longer; Elena was lying on the old sofa, facing away from him, her body shaking and teeth chattering from the icy breeze.

He moved silently towards her, removing his jacket, he placed it over her, and then sat on the ground with his back pressed against the sofa.

She had the impulse to push it off her but she was freezing and it's not like he needed it.

She inhaled deeply, his scent taking over her, after a few minutes of silence she muttered, "Thanks" even if she was mad at him her parent had taught her manners.

"I know what you're thinking, and I don't blame you" he said, as she turned around to look at him, her head resting on the sofas armrest. "You think I went to Katherine, bragging that I could make you love me, but I never wanted to force you into this. Yes, I should have told you what Katherine was making me do, but she threatened to hurt you" he paused, it was always at times like this when his jaw seemed to lock, unable to say anything that would show her that he cared.

"You said Katherine made you, how did she do that?" she asked, though she wanted to stay mad, she wanted answers a whole lot more.

"Luciana, she's one of the oldest witches I've met, you know the little aneurism trick Bonnie's so fond off, it's like that just a whole lot worse" Damon wasn't one to admit to being hurt so it made Elena grimace as she tried to imagine what that had felt like.

"We can get out of here, I'll even leave town if you want me to but you have to say it Elena, it doesn't matter that you don't mean it, I just don't want you to die" her heartbeat seemed to speed up when he looked up at her, unleashing the full power behind those endlessly intense eyes, "You care about Stefan right?"

She was taken back by this but she nodded, "Yeah, I lov-"

"Yeah I know" he interrupted not wanting to hear about how much she loved his brother, "That's why you need to lie, tell me you love me, it doesn't have to mean anything, it's just words, you won't be like Katherine because I know you'll be saying it to be with Stefan"

The emotional turmoil that had been building up inside her was getting to be too much, he just didn't understand what she was truly feeling, what she so desperately needed to tell him.

She got off the sofa, quickly kneeling beside him, holding his face in the palms of her hands, "I can't leave" she begged him to understand, her eyes looking wild and lost.

"You can" he said gently, his hand moving to its own accord as it caressed her cheek.

"I can't, he'll know as soon as he sees me, he'll just know" Damon's head tilted to the side trying to decipher her words, "I thought it was impossible to love two people at the one time, but I was wrong, and now when he kisses me, he'll not be the one I'm thinking of, when I tell him that I love him I won't be able to tell him he's the only _one_" she whispered her hands trembling as they moved down to rest on his shoulders.

"Don't say it then, please don't say it if you don't mean it, because you weren't the only one to be wrong, there not just words." She exhaled deeply, relieved he finally understood.

"I need time, and then we can leave ok?" The unspoken promise behind her words was so blindingly obvious that he couldn't help the smile that graced his lips.

Damon wouldn't be able to sleep until he heard her say those three words out loud, but he would always wait for her "Take all the time you need, because right now that's all I have"


	12. Visions of the Future

"Is this really such a good idea?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan had tracked Katherine down to a hotel, which they were now standing in the lobby of. He explained earlier how it wasn't too hard too find her; all they had to do was find the most expensive hotel in Mystic Falls.

"I don't have any others" he admitted, briefly closing his eyes as he tried to track Katherine down using his senses.

"Top floor, first room to the right" Bonnie said, already moving towards the elevator.

"How'd you know?" Stefan asked; in awe but still slightly jealous that she knew before him.

"I don't know I can just sense it" she leaned her back against the elevator walls as it slowly ascended up to the top.

The bell chimed as they reached the top floor following Bonnie's directions they came in front of a door marked 14B. Bonnie hesitated looking towards Stefan, he raised his fist to knock but she grabbed his arm, thinking it a better idea to try catching Katherine by surprise.

She raised her other hand, letting it hover over the door knob and suddenly the door flew open. He wondered why she hadn't of done that back at the basement but he doubted he wanted to see Elena alone in a small dark room with Damon.

Bonnie walked in first, motioning him to follow, all he needed to allow him to pass through the unseen barrier of the doorway.

With vampire speed he raced through the hallway, and seconds later Bonnie heard a crash and a low guttural growl. She ran towards it, only to find Stefan pinning Katherine to a wall, his canines extended and bared.

"Stefan" Katherine breathed her voice soft while saying his name even though his hands were tightly wound around her neck.

He ignored it, and even the raw feeling of betrayal he had been trying to fight off every time he seen her, he wasn't here for a heart felt reunion or to proclaim forgiveness, he was her to save Elena. "How do I get her out?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, his grip tightened and she grimaced, not because she couldn't breath, it's not like she needed too anyway, but because she never wanted it to be like this. She wanted to be his saving grace, making a return when he needed her most, she had been counting on him to have given up on Elena and moved on, but she should have known Stefan, he was a Salvatore, and Salvatore's never gave up.

"Don't pretend you don't know," he snapped, Bonnie unconsciously stood back; Stefan was past his human control, now running solely on animalistic instincts.

"I did it to help you Stefan" she retorted just as sharply, removing his hands from her throat in one fluid, effortless movement. His vampire features disappeared but the look of utter annoyance didn't.

"What by trying kill the girl I love?" Katherine flinched at that, but didn't let it show for long, a look of disdain replacing the uncharacteristic hurt she felt at his words.

"No, I've been watching you all for a while now, she may love you but it's clear she loves Damon also" her hand fell onto his chest in a move so painfully familiar that Stefan hesitated, spiteful words caught in his throat unable to penetrate the barriers of his lips, "I couldn't stand back and watch this happen all over again, I may seem heartless for the way I went about doing this, but I love you Stefan and if I could go back and do things over, I would choose you and only you. Do you remember what we had Stefan? We could have that again, this time properly"

Her brown eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, Bonnie felt like she was intruding in a personal moment, but at the same time was able to see past the crocodile tears and futile words she just hoped Stefan could do the same.

Stefan eyes half closed, and for a few terrifying seconds he remained quiet, "I want Elena out of there now."

Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief, while Katherine's eyes narrowed in a catlike scowl, "Even I wanted to I can't it's sealed with a spell that only Elena can break"

"How can she break it?" Bonnie asked.

"She knows how, ask her"

"We're asking you" Bonnie retorted, not in the mood to play games.

Katherine rolled her eyes, looking at Stefan when she said, "She has to tell Damon the truth, that she loves him"

…

"I should have known this was Bonnie's basement" Damon muttered.

"How could you have known? I've known her since I was born and I haven't been in here before" Damon collapsed into the space beside Elena on the sofa, he had been trying for a long two hours to forget about what she had said because the suspense was killing him.

"Because with Bonnie's fetish for candles I should have known no one else would have had so many lying about" his eyebrows quirked at the small smile on her lips, it was rare for her to seem so relaxed around him.

"Give me your hand" he demanded with an amused undertone to his voice.

"What?"

"Your hand" he repeated, opening his own hand for hers to rest in, "If we're going to be in her for a while we may as well pass some time" She looked at him indecisively, he rolled his eyes reaching for her hand, "Don't you want me to tell your future?" he asked his eyes sparkling mischievously.

It was Elena's turn to roll her eyes, "I thought you were a vampire not a psychic"

"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents" he drawled, turning her hand around so that it was palm side up.

His fingers lightly traced the lines of her palm, she shivered they're eyes meeting as he looked up at her with a knowing smile.

"You have a lot of ambitions in life and you want to travel" he began, she knew he hadn't a clue about palmistry, but somehow he got it right, probably just a wild guess she assumed.

"You'll have a long life" he said softly, which for all she knew he could mean as a human or a vampire, "You'll always be loved, Elena, no matter what happens in the future, no matter what you decide" _Deep breaths_, a small voice in her head told her, as a current of indiscernible feelings washed over her, taking away her breath in their wake.

Then he smirked, all the powerful unshed emotion that was in his eyes shifted to an amusing gleam, "You'll also meet someone tall, dark and handsome and did I mention you'll be trapped in a basement with him?"

She could only manage a small smile. This wasn't fair, she had to make one of the hardest decisions of her life, but here he was with his half said confessions, and ridiculous predictions, some of the things that made her realise he was more human than she had once believed. All these small things were what made her want him, so how could she possibly choose between him and Stefan when Damon made her forget about everything she feels for Stefan just by being with her.

He watched the conflicted look on her face, wanting nothing more than to kiss the worry lines from her forehead, instead he pulled her to her feet with the hand he was still holding, he bowed with his most charming smile in place as he asked, "May I have this dance?"

She laughed in spite of everything, curtsying before him, "You may" she replied a teasing smile on her lips.

He pulled her closer, making sure to avoid the broken fragments of glass, if she was to cut herself he'd surely go mad from the restraint of having to stay away from her. He pushed them thoughts aside as her head rested neatly against his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his neck. He guided them along in small perfected circles, his hands lightly wrapped around her back, she thought it would have felt strange dancing with no music, especially without being able to see a thing, but it didn't matter. They were both temporarily free, with nothing to worry about outside of their four small walls, and she wished it could stay like this forever, but she had to make a decision, and no matter what she choose she knew nothing would ever be the same again.

**Sorry for taking so long to update, I've just been stressed with exams which are thankfully over in two weeks, there's going to be more about Luciana Bennett soon and Elena's decision, let me know what you think, bye! **


End file.
